Warframe: Eyes
by Kalenath Shok-Tan
Summary: Eyes are windows to the soul. They are also something that many warframes seem to lack. Coincidence? Maybe. This is a fanfiction. I own none of the rights to Warframe. You need to finish The Second Dream quest to understand all of this.
1. Chapter 1

**Cusps**

 _This isn't right._

He sat alone. _That_ was right. He knew he was too dangerous to be around people, especially fragile humans. But there were others fragile beings as well. Others he could see in his mind's eye. But...

He could see one in particular. She -yes, she- wore a Mirage warframe. He could see her, but he could not hear her. She was crying. He knew that even though he could not say _how_ he knew that. He had learned early not to question the feelings. He remembered so much. He remembered pain, fear, loss, but also hope, joy, love. He knew all of these, but he was still what he was.

A reject. A mistake. A broken form who would never be able to be what he _should_ have been. What he _would_ have been if not for the accident that had maimed him _and_ empowered him.

 _Heron._ The voice of his mother came and he smiled as she appeared in front of him. He didn't know if she was really there, some kind of holo, or what. It didn't matter. He knew her.

 _Lotus. What have we done?_ The one called Heron asked sadly. _The others are angry. You had no choice but to remove us from the Reservoir. But... I do not understand why they are angry._

 _I deceived them, my child._ The blue garbed not-human woman said softly. _I told them that you died, all of you. They don't understand. They see Transference and fear it as a slave collar._

 _We would_ **never** _do that!_ The ageless boy in the chair declared. _We are not Orokin. We are Tenno! We may not have been born that way, but we are. We follow the old ways! We honor the ancestors! We..._ He broke off, fighting to control his emotions. Losing control of himself was _bad_.

 _I know._ The Lotus was so gentle as always. _You had to find your own way and you did. You make me so proud. You who have been hurt and hurt and hurt and rise above it every time. You refuse to give in, to submit to your baser instincts._

 _Not all of us._ The boy said sadly.

 _The only being you can change is yourself, Heron._ The Lotus said quietly. _This will not be easy, but we can manage._ **If** _you and the others are willing to try. The First and the ones made from the First_ **are** _Tenno. They understand the Way and the Code, Heron. You have to show them that_ **you** _do too._

 _How?_ The boy called Heron asked slowly. _They won't believe us. I mean, no one trained us._ The Lotus just looked at him and the chair-ridden boy flushed. _Okay, Okay. Yes, we watched while the others were taught to learn the ways for ourselves. We imprinted minds to show the schools of thought we came up with. They will think we imposed the foci on them. They will think us no better than the Orokin._

 _Some of them will._ The Lotus agreed sadly. _Not all._

 _I never wanted to hurt people, Lotus._ Heron said softly. _I never wanted_ **this** _._ He nodded to his chair, his prison. The one thing keeping his power form consuming everything around him.

 _I know, Heron._ The Lotus said gently. _The Orokin had much to answer for. What they did to you, to Margulis, to so many. But now, we will fight this war on two fronts. The war without against the Grineer, the Corpus the Infested and now the Sentients._

 _And the war within._ Heron intoned. _Against our own selves. Against the horror that we hold back._

 _You are not alone, Heron._ The Lotus replied calmly. _You and your sisters and brothers are not alone in this struggle. You have allies, but you must take care not to alienate them. To show them the truth in ways that they will accept. Show them what you are. Not who, but what. You_ **are** _Tenno, Heron._

 _Ten Zero..._ Heron said with a small smile. _The Orokin used that as a designation of horror. To dehumanize us. To show we were their slaves. To make us less while they tried to use us for their schemes. We took the old meaning. The name of the legend. Do... do you think the others will like us?_

 _Some will._ The Lotus said sadly. _Others will only see the chair or your power. Be wary, my child. These can be stalwart allies or the deadliest of enemies. And_ **whatever** _you do, do_ **not** _antagonize Nikis._

 _Do I_ **look** _that stupid?_ Heron asked with a grin. _No. Don't answer that. When?_

 _Now._

* * *

 **A hidden Tenno dojo**

She sat alone in the Zen garden. She still wore her warframe, but... She felt _**wrong**_. She preferred this particular garden, the schools of koi fish swimming around the stepping stones. Everything in perfect balance. Unlike her life. Unlike _everything_ in her life.

"Tiana." The voice of the clan leader roused her from her attempt at meditation and she looked up to see him standing at the entrance. He was in robes. The one who had taught her so much rarely looked worried, but right now? He did. She couldn't blame him.

"Karl." The being who had called herself Tiana when she passed a grueling trial to determine her future was ambivalent. No. 'Numb' was probably a better word. She didn't know if anyone had expected what had happened. What had been revealed. _She_ certainly hadn't.

"Everyone is in shock, Sister." Karl said softly. "Everyone. It isn't just you."

"I couldn't do a _thing_ , Karl." Tiana said softly. "I... I picked up the body and... I _wasn't_ in control." She was breathing hard and she focused on that for a moment, calming herself. I could see, I could hear. But... I wasn't in _control!_ "

"I know." Karl stepped forward and knelt beside her. "To be a puppet is a special nightmare for us. We _all_ have such nightmares on occasion. What happened to you and the others the Lotus sent was guaranteed to cause problems."

"The Lotus..." Tiana said weakly. "She... I..."

"There is a meeting to discuss this." Karl shook his head. "Neutral ground. The Citadel seemed appropriate. All who were sent on the mission are requested to appear." Tiana was shaking her head and Karl sighed. "Sister, we stand with you. Three of us will go with you. Myself, Alicia, and Will."

"I..." Tiana touched her chest and swallowed hard. "I didn't feel it, Karl. I didn't feel it when he shoved the sword through me. What is happening to me?" She begged. "I couldn't fight. All I could do was try to break the thing in me. I did, but... This isn't right. Is Olim _certain_ I am clean?"

" _I_ am not going to argue with a Cyberlancer about electronic attacks, Tiana." Karl said with a snort. "Neither should _you_."

"Ah, yeah." Tiana heaved a sigh. "She lied to us, Karl."

"We don't _know_ that, Tiana." Karl replied evenly. "We don't have all of the information. There _was_ a war on. Things got murky. We need more information. So, we go get it."

"I was a slave to the Queens before you found me." Tiana's voice was tiny. "I cannot be a slave again. I will not be a slave again."

"Over our dead bodies as well." Karl reassured her. "You are not alone and you will not be. There is no schism here. We are Tenno, you are Tenno. We stand with you."

"Thank you." Tiana said weakly as Karl rose. She did as well. The clan leader started off and she followed. "What word of the Moon?"

"The Grineer and Corpus are fighting over it." Karl grunted. "Teams are being sent to monitor. Sentients have been detected, but small groups. No sign of Hunhow. Maybe it died when you broke the sword." Tiana just looked at him and Karl grimaced. "Yeah, I don't think so either. Such an entity wouldn't be destroyed by such a thing."

"The Reservoir?" Tiana could not stop a shiver as she remembered that beautiful place with its ancient terrible secret exposed at long last.

"Empty." Karl replied. "The other pods were recovered, but none of the others were attacked. You apparently drew Hunhow's attention." Tiana did not reply and Karl nodded. "And yes, all of the others reported the same. Out of control. Puppets. None of you remember where the bodies were taken."

"They were not _bodies_ , Karl." Tiana said with a snarl. "They moved. They were _people_. Orokin. They _had_ to be Orokin to take control from us like that."

"Tiana..." Karl started and then broke off. He shook his head and continued. "As I say, this is a special nightmare for our kind. Have you talked to Brianna?"

"Not yet." Tiana said sadly. "Not ready yet. I will. Just... not yet."

"Don't wait too long." Karl admonished her gently as they entered and elevator and two other warframes stood. An Excalibur Prime and a Trinity. "I will meet you in the portal room."

"Weapons?" Will asked as Alicia took Tiana's hands in her own, giving them a squeeze.

"Full loadouts." Karl replied. The other three stiffened.

"Karl." Alicia said sharply. "We are going to the _Citadel!_ What can happen _there_?"

"I don't know." Karl replied as the elevator started. "And that _scares_ me."

The elevator stopped, the door opened and he was gone before any of them could frame a coherent response. Alicia shook her head as Will hit the controls again.

"Is there anything you can tell me, Alicia?" Tiana asked as the elevator descended. A good question. Alicia was intelligence, an agent of espionage and counter espionage. There was a lot she couldn't talk about.

"Not a lot." Alicia did not let go of Tiana's hands. "The moon was a prison and sometimes a rehabilitation center. It was also where the Executors did their 'trials'. A nice euphemism for brutal executions with no recourse. There was no justice there." Tiana shivered and Alicia gave her hand another squeeze. "It is okay, sister. You are not alone."

"We heard... I think they were memories." Tiana shook her head as the elevator stopped and all three started off. "Two voices. We couldn't tell where they were coming from. Maybe hard coded into the surrounding matrix. Olim could probably explain it better, but one of the team said that strong emotions could reverberate in the energy that made up Orokin structures?" This was both statement and question.

"It was known to happen." Alicia said with a frown that was clear even thought her closed faceplate. "We cannot detect anything wrong with _you_ , but none of the teams that have gone since have encountered anything like that."

"So it almost certainly has something to do with the beings we found." Tiana shivered again. Alicia squeezed her hands again. "I am a mess, sister."

"I know about being a puppet, Tiana." Alicia said softly. Tiana started, Alicia did. She had been a partial slave to a nasty self aware virus that had infiltrated her warframe an then her mind. "We will not let it happen to you again." Will nodded emphatically at his mate's words. "We are _all_ with you."

"Thank you." Tiana said and then she came to a halt as the door to the portal chamber opened and the _rest_ of the clan stood waiting. They all nodded to Tiana. Karen, Aeron, Olim, Mori, Ric, Cecelia, Cathi Gata and then a shocker. Elder Raven stood beside Princess Michelle and her chief guard. The Mirage paused. "Ah..."

"This affects us _all_." Raven said with a frown. "Every _single_ Tenno of any kind. Michelle is here to represent... other interests." Tiana nodded to Michelle who nodded back. No one outside of her clan was supposed to know what Michelle was now. Where she lived and why.

"I half expected Jesse to be here." Tiana wasn't joking. Not really.

"We dosed her drink." Michelle said with a hint of a smile. It wasn't really a laughing matter. Jesse was... well... 'Force of nature' was the most common phrase used. When she fixated on something, everyone sane got out of her way. She wasn't a warrior and it didn't matter in the _slightest_. She obeyed the Empress and Lotus and _no one else_. Everyone had learned to make instructions clear, concise and as impossible to 'interpret' as possible when dealing with her. She was sneaky and determined to do 'the right thing' whatever that might be or the potential costs to her. It got infuriating. "They will keep her asleep for a day or so. She needs it."

"Still overdoing it?" Tiana asked, worried. Michelle nodded with a grimace. "I had hoped... but... I _do_ know Jesse."

"Jac has her in hand." Michelle said dryly and more than one person shuddered. Jac was also a member of the clan, but she had shifted her focus from being a warrior to being the mother of Aeron's kids. "I think Jesse has met her match."

"And...Draco?" Tiana asked carefully. Draco was Jesse's guard and very good at being a guard.

"He is cheering Jac on." Michelle chortled. "Jesse was driving him crazy."

"Hmmm." Tiana was hardly the only person to wince at that. Draco was very good at his job, but his primary weapon was fear. A weapon he wielded with such skill that even the most ancient of Tenno -Nikis himself- had proclaimed that Draco scared him. The Mirage paused and looked at Michelle. "Nothing going on there, is there?"

The _last_ thing _anyone_ needed was a hyperactive Cyberlancer trying to form a relationship with an avatar of fear. The mind _boggled_.

"No." Michelle did not look happy, but she was relaxing a little. "Jesse is not focused on anything but her work. If Draco thought it might get her to loosen up, he _might_ make comments, but no more. He knows better. He has discussed it with mom and me. He won't."

"Part of me wishes I had heard that conversation." Tiana said with the first laugh she had managed since returning from the moon. "The rest of me? _Glad_ I missed it. Iriana? Jasmina?" The Healer and the Caretaker of the Unclean would also be worried.

"Meeting us there." Karl appeared nearby, his Rhino warframe fully armed. "Arm yourselves." Will and Alicia moved to lockers nearby to pull weapons down. Tiana did not move. "Tiana..."

"I was not in control, Karl." Tiana said firmly. "I don't trust myself with weapons right now. Please do not order me to arm myself. If need be, I can defend myself with my powers. But... I can't, Karl."

Alicia had pulled her Glaive, her Burston Prime and her Bolto from the locker. Will had his Braton, a Lato and his Skana. Not such a simple blade in his hands. Karl sighed and moved to the locker. He pulled out a pair of pistols and hung them from the back of his belt. Tiana's Aksomati. Then he pulled out her Jat Kittag. He held it out to her by the hammer head and she eyed it.

"You are Tenno, Tiana." Karl said quietly. "We trust you."

"I..." Tiana swallowed hard and took the hammer. She sheathed it and then she shook her head. "No ranged weapons."

"If you need them, I will have them." Karl closed the locker. "But I am willing to bet everyone will be armed."

"The Citadel may not let us keep them." Alicia warned as they started for the portal platform. Michelle, Raven and Petra followed. "They take security seriously."

"Carlos said we could come armed." Karl shook his head as he mounted the platform. "This will be rough, but there, they can keep things in line."

"We hope." Tiana gave voice to the fear as the portal flared and cast them through space and time.

When the golden energy faded, two warframes stood in front of them. A Sayrn Prime and an Oberon Prime. Carlos bowed formally to Karl. Rachel just stepped forward to embrace Tiana who gave a squeak.

"This is going to be rough, Tiana." Rachel -the Leader of the small group of Tenno who called the ancient Citadel home- said as she gave the Mirage another hug. "Everyone is angry. Nikis and Sun have both arrived." At that, everyone gulped. That was a pair _no one_ wanted to cross. "They want to hear from you. Everyone does. You... You were the only one who heard what she said. Are you all right?"

"Not really." Tiana said weakly. "It didn't hurt. Which makes no sense at all. I had a huge _sword_ shoved _through_ me. But the rest? I wasn't in control, Rachel. It wasn't _me_. Please tell me you can stop it from happening again!"

"We can, sister." Rachel promised. "Carlos?"

"We searched our records, Sister Tiana." Carlos said formally. "Such things have happened before, if not on this scale. There are ways to keep from being controlled."

"How?" Tiana demanded. No one commented that she was being rude. _Everyone_ understood.

"Sister, it will hurt." Carlos sounded worried. Tiana just looked at him and he sighed. He held out a small circle of metal to her. She took it gingerly and looked at it. He indicated her head and she nodded.

"No! Don't!" A new voice had half of the Tenno present drawing weapons as a hologram appeared nearby. The Lotus was holding out a hand. "Tenno Tiana! Don't!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" Tiana screamed. She jerked, she hadn't meant to be so loud.

"You deserve an explanation, and I will give one but please... don't use that." The blue garbed not-human woman said desperately. "It will hurt you _and_ them. They didn't _intend_ what happened, Tenno. They did _not_. Please!"

 _No. Lotus, stand down._ The voice wasn't audible. It wasn't from anyone present. _We took choice from her before. That was wrong. We frightened her and others. That too was wrong. She must have the choice, Lotus or she will never trust again. Do what you must, Tenno. We will not blame you._

"Who...?" Tiana stared around wildly, but everyone else was just as shocked.

 _My name is Heron and I too am Tenno._


	2. Chapter 2

**Waking?**

"You took control of me." Tiana snapped. "You enslaved me!"

 _That was not my intention._ Heron replied evenly. The Lotus simply stood helplessly as Tiana fingered the metal circle in her hands. _I woke from the dream to see you kneeling there. I did not know you. You were not anyone I recognized. I had thought I was simply a warframe myself. But in the dream, I was seeing many, many warframes. I was riding many, watching, helping a little as I could. The feedback when the Transference machine cut out shut down your neural links temporarily. It knocked you out. We were_ **both** _vulnerable and I knew enemies were coming. I can make no other explanation for taking control. Forgive me, Sister. I wronged you._

"I..." Tiana shook her head once, twice. She gave herself a shake. "You call me 'Sister', but I do not know you." She jerked as Raven coughed.

"This is _not_ a conversation to be having in the _hallway_." Raven said firmly. "The others are waiting for us. Tiana, your choice."

Tiana looked at the Lotus whose visible face was set. Then she looked at the others. Finally, she slumped but and shook her head.

"I will... hang onto this, if you don't mind, Rachel." Tiana said to Rachel who shook her head.

"I would ask that you not leave with it." Rachel replied. "It is a relic of the First." Tiana jerked and stared at the circle in her hand. "There were those who tried to control them. It _rarely_ ended well for those." She said dryly. Tiana nodded.

Raven started off, Tiana matching her strides. The Lotus' holo vanished and the others followed the two female Tenno. No one spoke and Tiana was glad for it. Her mind was whirling. Too many things, too quickly. No one spoke as the cavalcade made its way into a much larger chamber. Inside, many Tenno stood in groups, talking quietly. All of that stopped as Raven and Tiana entered. Karl, Alicia and Will moved to the wall where they stood, ready. Michelle and Petra stood near them, but not -quite- with them. Rachel and Carlos moved to the door, warding it.

Raven strode into the middle of the room and looked around. Tiana paused, not sure what to do. Raven smiled at her and nodded. Then she spoke.

"We are here to discuss what happened on the moon." The Elder said formally. "The Citadel is warded. It's shields will prevent any unauthorized presences from entering or leaving." She looked to the said where a black armored form lounged against the wall and bowed her head. "Grandmaster Nikis." Nikis grunted in acknowledgement. Everyone looked at him, but no one commented. Wise of them. "Are the wards live?"

"You know they are." Nikis snapped. Raven looked at him and he shrugged. "Not that surprised she lied. It is what she does."

"It is never that simple, Nikis." A calm, cold voice sounded from the other side of the room and more than one Tenno shied away from the white Loki Prime. Grandmaster Sun was shaking his head. "And you _know_ it." Nikis grunted again and Sun shrugged. "We are all here, Elder Raven and the wards _are_ live."

"Very well." Raven said with a nod to the master interrogator. "Eight of our number were sent by the Lotus on a mission of some urgency. The kinslayer had allied with the Sentient Hunhow and was seeking something that could destroy the Tenno." Tiana bowed her head along with several others in the room. "I stand for the Elders. Nikis and Sun stand for themselves of course. Rachel and Carlos stand for the First. Michelle and Petra stand for other interested parties. The rest of our kin stand for _you_. Step forward, my kin. Be recognized. We stand _with_ you and _for_ you."

Tiana stepped forward and stopped as seven other Tenno moved to flank her. An Excalibur, a Trinity, a Loki, an Ivara, a Rhino, an Ash and a Frost. She knew them all, if mostly just by name. Rick, Sina, Jorge, Viveka, Hors, Sam and Kiang. Her team who had gone with her to the Moon. Who had fought through the ancient traps and defenses chasing the kinslayer. The battle had been brutal, Tiana had gone down more than once, but her team had always been there to assist. She herself had assisted others when they had fallen.

"We need to know what happened." Raven said calmly. "You have all been debriefed by your various clans and by Intelligence, but this is for all of the Tenno. This... changes things."

"No joke." The Ivara -Viveka- said sourly. Tiana looked at the other and realized that the other female Tenno was fingering a red painted crossbow at her hip. The Rakta Ballistica was loaded.

"Tenno Viveka, we are here to try to understand." Raven said quietly. "To seek a meaning behind what happened."

"What is to _understand_?" Viveka snapped. "We were _lied_ to!"

"There has to be a reason." Raven said softly. "Good, bad or indifferent, the Lotus is _not_ in the habit of doing things without _reason_." Her tone was quiet, but rock hard as well and Viveka recoiled a little. "We need to know what that reason is. Our kin are confused. Our kin are scared."

"With reason." Tiana said in an undertone that somehow carried. The Frost -Kiang- reached out to pat her arm and she nodded thanks to him.

"Yes." Raven agreed. "With reason. To be controlled is a particular nightmare for us. For warriors especially. Warrior Tenno wield powers that defy belief. Even the most jaded and bitter of us understand what we can do. Every one of our people will hear of this. No matter how well the secret is kept, it _will_ get out. And when it does, panic will follow." A worried murmur went around the room ."We need to get ahead of this. We need to know what happened and figure out where to go from there."

"We need to tell the Lotus to **** off!" Viveka snapped, her hand on her crossbow. The murmur turned ugly. Whatever feelings people might have at the moment, _all_ of the assembled Tenno knew the Lotus and most respected her.

"Do we?" Sun asked from where he stood. The murmur faded into a silence that was profound. "We don't have all the information. Rushing off half cocked is a bad idea."

"And waiting for her to enslave us is a _good one_?" Viveka nearly screamed. "I for one-"

 **Bang!**

All eyes turned to Nikis. More than one Tenno had drawn weapons at the sound of a gunshot, but _all_ lowered said weapons as they saw he had his pistols ready in hand. One was lowering from where he had fired at the ceiling.

"Nikis..." Rachel groaned. "What did the _ceiling_ do to you?"

"It was _there_." Nikis... sounded different. Older. Harder. _Terrifying_. His words were calm, but his tone... more than one Tenno flinched from the ice cold gunfighter. "There will be _no_ schisms today." This was not a question. It was a statement of fact. "We are here to figure out what happened and move on. Take your hand _off_ your weapon, Tenno Viveka." His right hand Magnus was aimed at her faceplate. "Break the peace here and I _will_ shoot you. I will not have a _moment's_ regret. I will not let you make the same mistakes _we_ did if I have to kill _every last one of you_. _Clear_?"

Not a threat. A promise.

"Grandmaster Nikis..." Raven begged. No one dared move. No one dared _breathe_. Nikis played the doddering old fool so well sometimes it was easy to forget who -and _what_ \- he really was.

"What is it gonna _be_ , brat?" Nikis demanded of Viveka who stared at him. "Richard _died_ so that you would have free will. You have it, but there are some choices I simply won't stand by and watch you make. You try to fracture our kin and _I_ will kill you." It went without saying that if the _Grandmaster of the_ _Dead_ did so, there would be no coming back after.

"Nikis." Tiana took a step to stand by Viveka. "Shoot if you must. She is scared. So am I. If you shoot her, you _will_ shoot me too." She raised empty hands. The Ivara warframe turned to scrutinize the Mirage and then Viveka slumped a bit, her hand falling away from her weapon.

"You got guts, girl." Nikis replied evenly. "But there are some things I will not allow. You have a right to fear after what happened, but you cannot let it rule you." His words were to Viveka now. "And I will not let you do what your friends want." Viveka jerked and Tiana stared form the Ivara to the Nekros and back. "She is with 'The Rising'."

A murmur went around the room. This time, it was more worried than angry. 'The Rising' were a group of extremists who had started with the Red Veil, but had proven too extreme for that group. And considering that the Red Veil were dedicated to purging the entire solar system with blood and fire, that was saying something.

"So much for 'free will'." Viveka snapped. More than one person quailed at her tone.

"No one is stopping you from being a fanatic, brat." Nikis retorted. "All I am doing is keeping you from starting a schism in our ranks. You wanna purge people who can't fight back? Be my guest. Go kill humans or Grineer or whatnot." He shook his head slowly. "But you even _try_ to mess with our kin and you will _pray_ for oblivion and I won't let it take you for a long, _long_ time."

Tiana shook her head and stepped between the Nekros and the Ivara. More than one person in the hall inhaled in shock as she raised empty hands. She didn't move. Didn't speak. She just stood there. Then the others who had gone with her to the moon moved to flank her, blocking Nikis' shot.

"Viveka." Tiana said sadly. "Choose. Do we live or die? We cannot stop him. We cannot fight him. But we do stand for you."

"I..." Viveka sounded shaken now. She stepped forward to stand by Tiana. Her hand came up from her weapon to take Tiana's hand. "I am afraid."

"So am I." Tiana replied. She didn't take her eyes from the Nekros who nodded to her. His pistols went back to his sides. But his gaze never left Viveka. The tension in the room dropped a little. But only a little. Tiana took a deep breath and spoke.

"Elder, the Lotus called us to help her stop the Stalker from destroying an ancient relic of Tenno power. We were honored to do so..."

* * *

 **A bit later**

No one had moved. Viveka still held Tiana's hand. The others had shifted closer to her as the Mirage finished the tale. More than one had laid hands on her as she spoke haltingly. Offering support.

"When I came to, the sword was gone and there wasn't even any blood. It never hurt." Tiana said softly. "I don't know where we were. My ship came for me and I went back to it. I was numb. Am numb." Viveka was shaking her head. Tiana looked at the other female Tenno. "You didn't see that?"

"No." Viveka said weakly. "I came to my senses on my ship. I knew I was missing time, that I had been controlled. The last thing I remembered was opening the pod. Seeing the form inside. Humans?" She asked. The other six who had been with them shook their heads as well when Tiana looked at them.

"No." Tiana said softly. "Not human. They were not human. The Lotus was talking, but I could only make out a little. I was fuzzy." She took a deep breath, let it out. "She called the boy 'My child'." At that, Viveka jerked. "We need to know, Viveka."

"Yes." The Ivara's voice was tiny. "Yes, we do." She relaxed completely for the first time, Tiana still holding her hand.

"Elder, we need answers and none of us here have them." Tiana said formally.

"True." Raven said softly. "Can everyone keep their temper?" This was sour as she looked at Nikis who shrugged. She shook her head. "Why do I even _try_?" She asked the room sourly. A few people surprised themselves with chuckles. "Rachel?"

"Wards are set for selective. She can get in." The Saryn Prime who led the inhabitants of the Citadel said quietly. "Don't know if we can hold her." She warned.

"We do not want to hold her." Raven said sadly. "We just want answers. I- Whoa!"

Everyone had weapons in hand as the transparent figure of the Lotus appeared in the middle of the room She was not alone. A young looking male form sat in an odd looking chair beside her. Tiana stiffened as the holograms both looked at her.

"What is the _meaning_ of this?" Raven demanded tightly. Nikis had his pistols in hand now. Sun, his staff. More than one of the others had weapons ready, for all the good they would do against holograms. "We asked for _your_ attendance, Lotus. No one else's."

"Heron has a mind of his own and felt that Tenno Tiana needed more than a basic apology." The Lotus was tense. The boy in the chair nodded to Tiana who didn't move. "I can explain, but it will be complicated."

"Is it ever _not?_ " Tiana demanded.

 _Not in my experience._ The words did not come from the boy's mouth, but it was clear he had said them. _I meant no offense then or now. But as Grandmaster Nikis says, there must be no schism. We meant no harm to any of you. We were afraid. We_ **are** _afraid._ It wasn't normal Tenno mental communication. No, this was something else entirely. But it didn't feel _wrong_.

" _Ýou_... are _afraid_?" Viveka's word might have been accusatory. But not really, she was dumbfounded. "You have power beyond belief if you can enslave Tenno with a _touch_."

 _We have power._ The boy said calmly. _But what we did was wrong. We had no time to ask permission. So all we can do is ask for your pardon._ Everyone was staring at the boy and he flushed a bit. _Tenno Tiana, I beg your pardon. I used you and it was wrong. Please forgive me._

The naked entreaty in the boy's voice shook Tiana. He wasn't faking this. He was truly sorry and scared for her. _For_ her. She tilted her had in query and he smiled at her.

 _We are not so different, Tenno Tiana. Both broken. Both misfits._ The one in the chair said with a nod of his own. _Both used, abused and discarded. But we both found a better way with help._ He turned to Raven. _Elder, my name is Heron and I ask to be recognized._

"Heron." Raven said slowly. She looked around the room but no one seemed to disagree. "You took control of Tiana."

 _I did._ Heron said sadly. _Her neural linkages had reached badly to the Transference system shutting down._ Nikis and Sun both jerked at the word 'Transference'. _Yes, Grandmasters. The Orokin managed to get Margulis' work to function. Mostly_

"Zarimon." Nikis breathed. Heron nodded. "She said you died." He nodded to the Lotus who hadn't moved.

 _We did._ Heron replied. _We woke from the first dream of horror in the Void to a nightmare of slavery, tests and experimentation. We were uncontrollable monsters. We hurt people without intending it. We did not understand what was happening or why. The only stable thing in our lives had vanished. We didn't know why. We didn't know the Orokin had killed her._ He bowed his head. _She worked so hard to help us and they killed her for it._

"Margulis." Tiana said softly. Heron and the Lotus both nodded to her. "We heard her voice a few times. Your influence?" Heron looked at the Lotus who shook her head.

"Not intentional. They had been imprisoned on the Moon." The blue garbed not-human female said quietly. "The residues of what happened lingered while they slept. They didn't know. The Orokin didn't tell them anything. But there was a connection. She forged a connection to them and the Orokin wanted to be in total control."

"Typical." Nikis said sourly.

 _They killed her._ Heron said calmly. _She was the one spot of kindness in our lives and they killed her for it._

"So... what?" Raven asked. "What are you?"

 _That is a very good question, Elder._ Heron said with a frown. _When we woke from the Second Dream, the Lotus told us she had placed us in Transference pods for our safety. We went to sleep and woke up with you kneeling in front of us on the moon, Tenno Tiana. We were and are too powerful. We cannot control our powers completely. The Orokin tried to use us to enhance the warframes that they made. The copies that they made of Tenno. We... did not know what that meant. To us 'Ten Zero' was a curse. It was the designation that the Orokin used to categorize us. I was Ten Zero Fourteen._

"Humans." Nikis made the word an epithet.

 _Those responsible are dead._ Heron replied. _The Lotus killed them when she rescued us. But, while our bodies slept, our minds wandered. Here and there, everywhere. We touched minds that were like ours, but not. We did not understand and we wanted to. But we were afraid._

"Of _us_?" Viveka demanded.

 _None of us can walk on our own, Tenno Viveka._ Heron replied. _None of us have the physical capability anymore. We can move, but not very far, or very fast._

"You... you are disabled." Tiana said softly. Heron nodded.

 _Physically, we are less capable than a human child._ Heron agreed. _But mentally? It took us...some time and not a little effort on the Lotus' part of get us to understand._ The Lotus smiled in fond, exasperated memory.

 _We were a handful._


	3. Chapter 3

**Dreams inside of dreams**

[The distant past]

"No, Raven, I am fine." The Lotus said for the third time as the girl beside her started to fret again. "You didn't hurt me." She smiled as she stroked the distraught girl's hair. "You can't hurt me like that."

"But you cried out." The dark haired girl cringed, but the Lotus knew how to handle them now. She reached out and gently bopped the girl's nose. The girl stared at the Lotus' finger and then a giggle escaped her. "Lotus!" The girl exclaimed, mixing worry with amusement.

"Raven, you surprised me with that energy blast, no more. I woke you up to run the checks, nothing else." The Lotus didn't miss the fear in the girl's eyes and was quick to continue. "And no. No experimentation. The suit handle your needs, but I want to be sure they handle them all." She paused. "And I miss you."

"I wish things were different." Raven said sadly. She raised her hand a few centimeters and then laid it back down. "I wish Margulis was here."

"She would be if she could, Raven." The Lotus said gently. "She loves you. All of you."

It would come out, sooner or later. She hadn't told the kids what had happened to Margulis or why. They were fragile enough that she feared for their sanity when she told them that Margulis was dead. That the Orokin had killed her.

"She is a far better person than me." Raven said weakly. "I can't stand Hawk."

"Yeah, well..." The Lotus smiled sadly as she finalized the checks and stepped back from Raven's pod. "Hawk is a difficult personality."

"Hawk is a bitch." Raven corrected the blue garbed woman.

"Raven." The Lotus put just the right hint of disapproval in her tone and Raven stiffened in her pod. "Where did you learn that word?"

"Ah... um..." Raven swallowed hard. "I was watching a training class of Tenno again and um... One of them called the teacher than. She was not amused. Less when the others all laughed."

"I bet not." The Lotus kept her tone mild and Raven wilted some. "Do you know what it means?"

"Female dog." Raven replied instantly. "The teacher made each of them write 'I will not call my teacher a female dog' six thousand times each." She shook her head a little. "This doesn't feel right, Lotus. I am spying on them."

"Actually, what you are doing is what martial arts students did for centuries." The Lotus smiled at Raven's dubious expression. "They went to a teacher, master, guru, sensei, whatever the term that was used, and stayed with that person. The teacher would demonstrate things, but not explain them. The student had to figure it all out on his or her own. They stayed with that teacher until they learned everything they could, then they left. That is kind of like what you and your siblings are doing."

"And the schools that we are helping them set up?" Raven asked, her eyes starting to droop. "Madurai, Naramon, Unairu, Vazarin, Zenurik?"

None of the kids had an abundance of physical energy. The Orokin had preferred them asleep for a number of unsavory reasons, so had 'encouraged' the kids' bodies to sleep far more than was healthy in the Lotus' opinion. She was working on fixes, but it was going slow. Good thing none of the kids seemed to be aging now. Well, sort of good. Mostly not. Again, she cursed the Orokin silently.

"They cannot know about you yet, my child. Maybe not ever." The Lotus said sadly. "I will _never_ let the Orokin take you again. You want to do something and I applaud that. Living in a dream is ultimately unfulfilling with nothing to do. You would go mad. But Raven, you know they would react."

"Yeah." Raven was on the end of sleep now. "We are monsters."

"No, Raven." The Lotus bent down to kiss her daughter on the forehead. "You are survivors." But Raven was asleep. "Roam far and wide in the scape of the sleeping mind, my daughter. Be safe. Learn all you can. See all you can. But know that you are loved. Margulis loves you and so do I."

She stepped back from Raven's pod as it sealed over the slumbering girl. She hated this 'Transference' tech. The Somatic Link was a brilliant concept in theory. It allowed these hurt and broken children to experience the life that they had been denied by the Void Jump accident that had claimed their parents' lives. None of the surviving kids were outwardly marred by their long time in the Void. The twisted ones hadn't survived long after the Lotus had...er... acquired them. Some would call what she had done kidnapping and there _was_ a certain level of truth to that. She had taken them from where they had been without their knowledge or consent. She called it 'rescuing' and there was a certain level of truth to _that_. What the Orokin had done horrified her and she knew Orokin horrors first hand. It was a miracle that only three of the ones she had rescued had perished.

The Orokin had tried very hard to make these kids into living, breathing batteries of Void energy to enhance the warframes that they were still churning out. The idea was simple, the _execution_ anything but. Then the being who now called herself Lotus had thrown a huge monkey wrench into the works by taking the children from where they had been and destroying the facility. As far as the Orokin -or Sentients!- knew, the kids had all perished along with the Sentient known as Natah. The Lotus wanted to _keep_ it that way. Her life was complicated _enough_.

She heaved a sigh as Raven's pod retracted into the pool that kept them all cool. One of the downsides to this tech was that the kids generated a lot of waste heat while they slept. Hiding the pods in a renewing waterfall on the broken Moon that orbited the origin world of humanity had been as much desperation as inspiration. Part of the Lotus wished to use the heated water somehow, just wasting it seemed inefficient. But she knew that any large scale change in the area would be a dead giveaway that _someone_ was here. Various groups would investigate and that would be bad.

She was about to raise Hawk's pod to check the girl when something impinged on her data streams. She had them routed carefully to avoid detection, but nothing was 100% sure in this broken world she had fallen into. A communication? She shook her head and left Hawk to sleep. The girl could use it. She was surly and difficult to deal with at the best of times, but she had cause. Many of the experiments that had been run on her had required the girl to be _awake_. Awake, aware, and in pain. Just like Adiinah had been. The Lotus shoved that away. That part of her life was gone. The Lotus had hated the Orokin before. But seeing Hawk, Raven and the others? Her rage was kindled every time she had to put the kids back to sleep.

 _Yes?_ The Lotus asked when she had verified that the trackers on the communication would not find her.

 _Stand by._ A calm male voice sounded. Not human. AI? The Lotus paused. What the...? The Lotus waited, unsure. She knew that somewhere, people were trying to follow the myriad signals that she bounced her communications through. But since she shifted the packets through the Void, through every kind of relay in existence, through ships and stations. All to keep people from finding her. Herself, she could handle. But the kids were acutely vulnerable in their aquatic nest.

 _You are a hard woman to find._ The voice was familiar. The Lotus went still as the dry voice of the Orokin _Emperor_ sounded in her mind.

 _Troubled times._ The Lotus kept her voice noncommittal. It was hard. Here was the voice of the single most powerful being in the Orokin Empire. An enemy any Sentient would have _died_ to try and kill. A being who had ordered the Zarimon children imprisoned and experimented on. To 'Help them' of course.

 _Very true._ The Emperor replied. _What do you want, Lotus? Your coordination of the Tenno across the system is working out very well. My military advisors are smiling for the first time in almost a decade. They claim responsibility, but you and I_ **both** _know that is a lie._

 _I am not doing this for them. Or you._ The Lotus said calmly. _The Tenno needed help, I am giving it._

 _And you want nothing in return?_ The Emperor pressed.

 _What I want, you cannot give._ The words burst out of the Lotus before she could stop them. The pain in her gut came back. It wasn't physical pain. She wasn't human to have pain there. She didn't have the biological apparatus to feel that. But it _still_ hurt. _No one can._

 _Are you so sure?_ The Emperor sounded genuinely concerned. She couldn't believe that. He was Orokin. Lying was what they _did_.

 _Yes._ The Lotus said flatly. _I will continue to aid the Tenno in this system. I will continue to coordinate their efforts._ A warning pinged across her vision. A tracker was getting close. She shunted it aside, into a place she knew was trying to make Infested into bioweapons for the Orokin. Let the trackers seek her there. _I have no interest in rewards. I have no interest in glory. I want my children as safe as I can make them._

 _Your..._ **children** _?_ She was sure she had stumped the Emperor. _You call the_ **Tenno** _your_ **children** _?_

 _This war has cost many so much._ The Lotus picked each word with care. _I do not know why it started nor do I care. Yes, I do consider the Tenno to be my children. They are lost. With their minds blanked -their memories of before removed-, they have no knowledge of who and what they were. They have no_ **reason** _to obey. No call to follow. No cause that they can believe in. You 'advisors' may believe that unthinking puppets are the proper way to do things, but the First disagree._

 _You are not of the First._ The Emperor said slowly. The Lotus did not reply and the Emperor actually sighed. _That was handled poorly._ Again, the Lotus did not reply. Another warning. Another tracker. _This_ time, she shunted it toward a Sentient stronghold. Let them try to find her _there!_ She was starting to lose patience. _What do you want, Lotus?_

 _I want to do my job._ The Lotus said softly, but with force. _I did not_ **choose** _this job, it was thrust on me. But the Tenno need direction and I can give it. A word of warning, Emperor. Pass it along to whoever you wish. Tell them to do a quick data search for the words 'Mama' and 'bear' together. The Tenno_ **are** _my children. Harm them at your_ **peril** _._

With that, she cut the connection and rocked back on her heels. She shook her head and moved to the datastream conduits she had set up nearby. She had to check. The last thing she needed was to be surprised by someone while she was working with a personality like Hawk's. She let the energy draw her up into the air and curled her legs underneath her. She didn't really need to do that. It just felt right to be sitting while she did this. It made no sense, but hey, little about her life _did_ these days. Multitasking was nothing new to her.

A tap of the streams and she was flying along them. Scrutinizing, categorizing, analyzing. Assimilating , planning and discarding ideas all at light speed. Eighty seven cells of Tenno were engaged in combat at the moment. Forty three classes of students were being taught by various instructors and the Lotus sighed as she saw the casualty reports. Nikis and Leanna in particular were _brutal_ teachers. Odd thing, _their_ students did far better at surviving actual combat than any of the gentler teachers charges did. It hurt to see...

She jerked as something new impinged her senses. Something she hadn't envisioned in any of her probabilities. Two Tenno had formed a _relationship_! That was... She immediately scrambled every Orokin sensor in the area. Such things would infuriate the slavemasters to no end. To focus on something other than their commands? Such heresy would not stand if the Orokin heard about it. So they wouldn't if the Lotus had anything to say about it.

 _Be very careful, children._ The Lotus warned the pair who jerked from their embrace. _I believe you have the right to seek comfort with each other or any you choose but the Orokin will not agree. Be wary and be happy._

She cut the feed, letting Tenno Malik and Tenno Frieda have their moment together. Not even the Lotus knew exactly what the future held. She had carefully stayed away from anything to do with Oracles and dealt in mathematical probabilities. Said probabilities were altering. She stared as the new focus shifted into place. _Noncombatant_ _**Tenno**_. The mind boggled. But if they could _cut_ the Orokin leash.. If they could find a way to rely on _themselves_ for supplies, for weapons, for ships... This would not go over well with the Orokin, but the Lotus wanted to dance for joy. Her children could be _free_.

 _All_ of them.

* * *

"This is stupid, Lotus."

The Lotus tried not to sigh as she checked Hawk's vitals. This time, the girl hadn't tried to blast her. At least, not yet. She would. It wasn't temper. It was just who and what she was. She did not trust. She did not believe. She couldn't. She did answer to the name now. She hadn't for a while, demanding to be called nonsense words, but eventually, she had accepted the name Margulis had given her instead of her designation. Margulis had apparently had a thing for old Earth bird life. But the name fit. Hawk had the eyes and soul of a flying predator.

"What is?" The Lotus asked as she finished her check. She sighed at what she found. "Hawk... You did it _again_."

"What do you _care_?" Hawk snapped. "You are not like us! You don't under-" The girl broke off as the Louts laid a hand on her abdomen, energy playing out across the suit the girl wore. "What?"

"You think I am not angry, Hawk?" Lotus asked sadly as she healed the damage the girl had done to herself. Again. "You think I am unemotional? Clueless? Stupid? What?" She asked as she retracted her hand and the girl was staring at her, wide eyed.

"I... felt you. Just now." The girl sounded awed now. "You are not human." The Lotus shook her head. "You never said you were, but we assumed."

"I never bothered to correct your assumption." The Lotus said softly, checking the readouts again. They were in the green, the girl was healing and in no pain. "I don't know what I am now, Hawk. I am not what I was. But this I do know: I was denied children by circumstances. The pain that I felt was barely a trickle when compared to yours. But it is the _same_ pain."

Hawk stared down at her abdomen. Even now, after all this time, the suit could not remove the scars of what the Orokin had done to Hawk when they realized she was capable of bearing young. They hadn't wanted that and the 'experiments' had served another purpose. Denying Hawk any chance of a child. She had been awake and aware at the time. It had supposedly provided the Orokin with all sorts of useful data although the Lotus had her doubts. _Mainly_ it had driven Hawk more than a little mad.

"You don't understand." Hawk snapped. "You can't."

"No." The Lotus agreed and Hawk stared at her. "I cannot understand your exact situation. I am not you. I don't have all of your memories or feelings. But don't you _dare_ discount _mine_." She warned. "I have known love, hate, pain, loss, all of those and worse." She shook her head. Hawk wasn't one for anything smacking of political correctness. "I gave up more than you can imagine, and you know what? I would do it _again_." The girl was gaping at her.

"Why?" Hawk managed to speak after a moment.

"Because it is the right thing to do." The Lotus said sadly. "It will not be easy, but the Orokin need to be stopped. You know firsthand the horror that they inflict. So do I." Hawk was shaking her head now but the Lotus continued. "Then the _Sentients_ need to be or the Tenno are doomed, all of you. I will _not_ allow that." Steel would have bent under her tone.

"You are weird." Hawk retorted.

"Yes." The Louts smiled at the girl's expression. "Hawk, no one can be tough all the time. Make something too strong and it gets brittle. I know you have seen that in the..." She broke off as Hawk looked away. "Hawk. What have you seen?"

"They... They didn't want to do it." Hawk said softly. The Lotus stared as tears started falling. Hawk _never_ cried. "They _didn't_ _**want**_ to _fight!_ "

"Oh, Hawk." The Lotus picked the girl up from her chair and held her as Hawk cried. "What did you see?"

"I saw Nira and Kols." The Lotus went still at Hawk's words. Those Tenno had fallen in battle recently. But _not_ against Sentients. "They were confused! Not angry! _Confused_!"

"They struck at their kin, Hawk." The Lotus hadn't wanted to watch that. But she had refused to delegate it to one of her avatars. "Tenno do not fight Tenno except in training. Tenno do not _kill_ Tenno."

"I WANT THEM TO KILL _**ME**_!" Hawk screamed and then she was sobbing as the Lotus held her, crooning. "I want... I want..."

"I know. Rest now, daughter. You are not alone." The Lotus said gently. "We both need to work on this and I think we can help each other." Energy played from her fingers, seeping into Hawk's body, soothing, easing the girl into sleep. "Be _strong_ , my brave Hawk. You will fly free once more."

"I love you, Momma." Hawk was almost asleep so she didn't see the expression of anguish that came over the Lotus's face as Hawk's energy reacted to her emotions. The Lotus kept her pain from her voice as she laid Hawk back in her chair.

"I love you too, Hawk."

The Lotus scowled as she pod closed up around the girl and lowered into the water. She focused on her pain and sighed as she healed the energy trauma. The kids were adapting. She had to be more adaptable. If they hurt her like they had hurt Margulis...

 _No one can hurt you like the ones you love..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Angels**

[The past]

The Lotus sighed again. It was harder now to remain detached. Part of her didn't want to try. But she knew she had to. She had to let them sleep now. She couldn't help them. They would either learn to control themselves in the dream or they would not. Her angels were out of her hands now and in their own. And... she had another reason.

 _Natah._ The voice was louder now. Familiar. Curious, worried, a bit of scared. All of these. _You need to come with us now._

As always, the Lotus ignored the call. She entered the portal and sighed as the area behind her vanished. The records had been altered, the Tenno had done as she asked with no questions asked. Some Orokin, the survivors of the Executors in particular, _would_ wonder where their super secret prison and murder facility had vanished too, but the Lotus was in no mood to enlighten them. The moon was gone from the night sky on Earth and she for one breathed a hearty sigh of relief. Her kids were as safe as she could make them. Now... she had to make sure _she_ was.

The probabilities had been clear. As soon as she exited the portal, she was under attack. But she was _prepared_. The two waiting for her had expected her to be surprised.

She _wasn't_.

* * *

 _This is_ **insane** _, Natah!_ The being who had once been her sister snapped as she dodged yet another flurry of high velocity metal sent at her from the Lotus' dual pistols. _You cannot beat us! Just_ **stop** _!_

The Lotus ignored her, running lightly up a tree trunk to land on a huge branch twenty meters above the pair of spindly forms of her assailants. She reloaded with a fast, crisp movements learned from her children who had learned it from watching Tenno instruction. She was running out of ammunition. She hadn't bothered to accessorize her weapons with elemental damage modifications, because her opponents would be able to adapt to them fairly quickly. They adapted to physical damage as well, but there was a problem. They could only adapt to _one_ kind of damage at a time and she had _three_ different kinds at her disposal and switched weapons frequently. Her swords cut, her pistols punctured and her Boar Prime -when she used it- hit like a series of battering rams fired in _extremely_ rapid succession.

She wasn't invulnerable however. She had taken energy damage and with little in the way of energy in the area, she was hard pressed to repair it. She had known this was going to be bad and had stocked up on energy restores, but the omni-directional energy distribution systems were just as much a boon to her enemies as they were to her. They ate energy of any kind. Just as she did. She had no idea why some Tenno called them 'pizzas', they looked nothing like the ancient food.

She could hurt them, they could hurt her. She could repair damage as quickly as it done and they could do the same. She was trying to access their neural feeds, hacking, sending false sensor images, all of that. Her opponents were doing the same. No... _One_ was!

The Lotus threw herself off the branch as energy started circling all around the area. She had damaged the weapon arms of one of her opponents and that one had repaired. Stalemate. She could not win, but she could _not_ lose either. If she died or was taken, the Tenno would die. If she died, they would lose coordination, the Orokin would try to assume control again and fail miserably as they had before. It would be a slaughter and _not_ of the Sentients. If she was taken...that would be _worse_! They would rip her mind apart, discover every secret, every one of her children. She would not allow that!

 _Enough, Natah!_ The stern voice of the elder Sentient was fierce as energy followed her. _You will come with us! Willingly or not._

 _Talk to her. Explain._ The voice wasn't one of the ones she had heard before. It wasn't familiar for a moment. Then it clicked. The Lotus stiffened momentarily as she recognized Owl's voice in her mind. Her son had always had a powerful mind, but _this_? He was asleep. Wasn't he?

 _She won't_ **believe** _!_ The Lotus snapped in her mind and froze as two gasps sounded nearby. She tensed for an attack, but none came. A cautious scan showed both of her opponents had stopped in place.

 _Who was that, Natah?_ The elder voice was cautious. _I do not know that voice._

 _My name is Owl, Ma'am._ The Lotus' son said quietly.

 _Owl! No!_ The Lotus screamed and raised her weapons, but... suddenly, she couldn't _move!_ _Owl! Let me_ **go** _!_

 _You cannot win here, Lotus. Neither can they._ Owl's voice was somber. _Others have detected your battle and come to investigate. Their kind, Orokin, Tenno, the result will be the same. They_ **will** _slay you._ **All** _of you. We will not allow it._

 _Owl! This is my choice!_ The Lotus snapped. _I have to do this! I have to face this!_

 _If you hurt or kill your_ **mother** _, then you will know our pain, Lotus._ Owl's voice was sad. _We hurt Margulis._ _We do not want you to suffer as we have. Stand down, Lotus, Sentient known as Kaanah, Sentient called 'Mother'. Please._

 _Who are you?_ The green Sentient form was still. The light red one was moving, but a pulse of energy from the green one had it freezing.

 _As I said, my name is Owl._ The boy responded. _I am her son._

 _Her..._ The sudden silence over the mental link was complete.

 _A lie! A trick!_ The other voice, the younger one, declared. _She is trying to escape again!_

 _No she is not, although that_ **would** _be the wiser course._ Owl said sadly. _She believes that only by dying or killing you can she be free. Insofar as it goes, she is right. She_ **does** _get notions though._

 _Owl!_ The Lotus growled. _Don't make me spank you!_

 _He is right._ The elder Sentient sounded... amused? _He must know you very well indeed._

 _She rescued us from horror._ Owl 's voice was warm now. _She tended us as our first mother did before she was killed._ The Lotus inhaled and Owl made a noise of regret. _We know, Lotus. You didn't want to tell us about Margulis and we understand. Your kindness was a balm to our souls. Even when we hurt you, even when we were bad, your love kept us whole. You are our mother in every way that matters._

 _You... are..._ Mother sounded stunned.

 _We are her children._ Owl finished the thought. _Yes. Adopted, but no less loved._

 _More._ Mother's voice was reflective now. _Children of the heart can be more than children of the body. They often need more. Natah... I..._

 _My name is_ **Lotus** _!_ The Lotus screamed as she fought what held her. The bonds gave under her assault but then tightened.

 _I cannot accept that._ Mother said softly. _You are my bud. I remember your first thoughts. You asked my name. I told you._

 _This is a trick!_ The one called Kaanah said fiercely. _We must strike now!_

 _And kill your sister?_ Mother's voice held sad query. There was silence from the other. _Hunhow wants us to kill her. He doesn't want to know why she left. But I don't care now. I understand. Natah, Lotus, I... I cannot... Come, Kaanah, we return to the hive._

 _We cannot go back without her!_ Kaanah said savagely. _Her or her remains. You know this!_

 _I wanted to know why my daughter betrayed us. Now I do._ The elder Sentient said calmly. _We do strange things for those we love._

 _Indeed we do._ The Lotus said softly. _You...can come with me._

 _No._ Mother said sadly. _We are enemies of the Orokin. From what I have heard, your children know what you are._ This was as much question as statement.

 _We have known for some time, Ma'am._ Owl said politely. The Lotus struggled harder, and the bonds around her gave some more, but not enough. _She cared for us, protected us. Hid us from the Orokin. Avenged us on those who had abused us._ The Lotus jerked and Owl sighed sadly. _Yes, we knew, Lotus. Thank you._

 _So... you do not serve the Orokin?_ Mother asked slowly.

 _Never!_ The Lotus snapped. _I protect the Tenno! Hunhow will destroy everything if he can. You know it._

 _You were never happy with fighting._ The older Sentient said slowly. _We all agreed it was needed, but... This is not what we envisioned._

 _The Tenno are not your enemies._ Owl said calmly. _The Orokin control the Tenno, but... if we have our way, not forever._ A hint of curiosity came from the others and he had a smile in his voice when he spoke again. _We will not be joining you, you understand._

 _Hunhow and his kind are bent on total destruction._ Mother said sadly. _There can be no compromise with him and while he is leading, with_ **us** _._

 _That is regrettable._ Owl sounded honestly sad. _We have seen your worlds in our Mother's mind. It was... beautiful._ The Lotus jerked again and this time, broke free. _Mother... please._

 _Go back to the dream, Owl._ The Lotus commanded. _Now._

 _Yes, Ma'am._ The boy's voice vanished, but a final mental caress touched the Lotus' mind.

 _How many?_ Mother asked, a strange bubble of amusement in the Sentient's mental tone.

 _Do you_ **really** _think I will answer that?_ The Lotus demanded angrily. Her mind swept the area, but Mother and Kaanah hadn't moved. Neither acted hostile now. Both seemed subdued.

 _No. It is better if you don't._ Mother agreed. _Just... daughter. When next we meet,_ **if** _we meet, we will likely meet as enemies. I do not wish it. But I must protect my family._

 _I know._ The Lotus watched as both Sentient forms arced away, bouyed aloft by forces far beyond most humans' comprehension.

 _Me too._

* * *

 **The Present**

"How many?" Tiana's soft query broke the silence after Heron was done speaking. The Lotus hadn't moved at all during his speech.

 _Seven of us survived what the Orokin did to us, Tenno Tiana. The Lotus tended us, kept us safe while we recovered. Then she hid us away._ Heron replied politely. _We cannot leave the pods we are encased in. I did, for a time. You carried me._ He nodded to the others who stood with her. **You** _all carried_ **us** _to safety. Not by choice. We... erred in doing what we did. But there was no time. That does not excuse what we did to you all, but please: We beg your forgiveness._

"I can see the need was great." Tiana said, her tone thoughtful. "I saw the enemies gathered to slay you all. What would have happened?"

 _If we had died?_ Heron asked. Tiana nodded. _We don't know. We have surmised that you will go on, lessened a little by our loss. We would rather not find out if it is all the same to you._ Tiana was hardly the only one to smile at his dry humor. _We are not puppet masters like the Orokin, Tenno Tiana. If the need hadn't been so great, if the eight of you had not been disabled..._ He broke off as Nikis coughed. _Yes, Grandmaster?_ Heron asked respectfully.

"You say there are seven of you." Nikis said slowly. "But _eight_ carried things from the Reservoir?"

 _Yes._ Heron frowned and his face took on a sad aspect. _We were not entirely clear. There are eight of us still living. But only seven of us are capable of thought._ A hush swept the room and Heron bowed his holographic head. The Lotus did as well. _Sparrow was my brother. His body lives, but he will never wake. The Orokin..._ Heron broke off and the Lotus laid a hand on his transparent shoulder. _They wanted a puppet. He resisted. The Lotus did what she could, and he is alive. Just... gone._

"I see." Nikis was shaking his head. "And the ones who did that?"

"Dead." The Lotus said flatly.

"Well done." Every eye was on the Nekros and he shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. I hate you and _will_ , Lotus. But there are a few things we agree on." The Lotus nodded even as Heron looked sad. "So... If you are not controllers, what are you?"

 _Speaking for myself, I am an assistant._ Heron said reasonably. _I can offer advice, offer a bit of my power when needed. I do not want to take control. Indeed, focusing on a single Tenno or warframe at a time would have disastrous consequences without a great deal of control. We did so because there was no other choice. We all feared that we might harm the Tenno we...rode._

"Records say you were projecting energy uncontrollably." Sun's words were both statement and query. Heron nodded. "The Lotus found a way to stop that?"

"Margulis did." The Lotus said sadly. "She was dedicated to finding a way to help the kids. Controlling it in their own bodies is difficult and dangerous. Not to them, but to everyone around them." Heron winced and the Lotus nodded. "She found a way to siphon off the energy, store it to be used elsewhere. The Orokin perverted that after they killed her. After all, lots more power? Better. Until a few of them got fried by accidental discharges." At that, Heron winced even more. "Don't _start_ , Heron." The Lotus warned. "They got what they _deserved_."

 _Margulis called us her angels._ Heron's voice was soft, upset. _We hurt her so badly and she still loved us. She didn't want us to be monsters. We do not want to be monsters._

"For some, it's a choice." Nikis' tone was reflective and then he shook his head and his voice hardened. "Why should we trust you? Any of you?"

 _You should not._ Heron's calm rejoinder had more than one of the listeners staring at him. _Trust must be_ **earned** _, Grandmaster Nikis. If we learned nothing else from our watching, we learned that._

"Spying on us." Sun's voice was mild but more than one of the listeners flinched.

 _From one point of view, yes._ Heron replied, his voice calm. _From another? The word 'spy' implies malicious intent, does it not?_ He asked the interrogator who looked at him. _We were never hostile to the Tenno. Indeed, we_ **feel** _as Tenno,_ **believe** _as Tenno. We honor the Code. The Orokin intended us to be puppet masters. We didn't understand at first what we were or why. Margulis and the Lotus helped us greatly. But in the end, we are what we are. Broken. Half finished machines._

"Stop that!" The Lotus snapped and everyone looked at her as she rounded on Heron. " _Stop_ calling yourself that, Heron. You _know_ how I feel about you calling yourselves that. You were hurt. You _are_ hurt. It is not something anyone can fix. We will go on, it is all we can do."

 _Yes, Mother._ The holographic young Tenno said quickly enough that more than one of the watchers smiled.

"So..." Raven shook her head slowly. "What is it you want, Heron? We have heard much of history, but we need to move forward."

 _Agreed._ Heron said with a nod. _My siblings and I wish to aid the Tenno. We learned what it was to_ **be** _Tenno even if we are not sure what_ **we** _are._

"Is _anyone_ wise _ever_ truly sure who or what he or she _is_?" Raven asked philosophically. Nikis groaned loudly and she shook her head. "We can discuss philosophy another time. For now, you did harm to eight Tenno. You must make restitution."

 _We understand._ Heron replied. _We cannot do much physically, but we are willing to assist in other ways. We feel that we are Tenno, even if many of you may disagree._

"Arbitrating disputes is what Elders are for." Raven replied. "So, what can you offer?"

The Lotus tensed, but Heron just nodded.

 _We can offer pieces of our power._ Heron was tense, but controlled it well. _We cannot channel more than a minute fraction of our energy, even into a warframe. The results would be catastrophic if we did. But that fraction_ **can** _aid Tenno in combat. Each of us has chosen to embody a different School. I chose Naramon, for with the ability to know one's enemy comes the ability to defeat them._ Tiana looked at all of the others and then stepped forward. Heron looked at her. _Tenno Tiana, we hurt you without intending it._

"I need to know." Tiana said quietly. "What you did frightened me greatly. I must move past this. The only way to do so is to face my fear."

 _I will not lie to you._ Heron said softly, not taking his holographic eyes from Tiana. _There_ **is** _danger._

"Our challenges mold us." Tiana quoted from the Tenno Code as all of the surrounding Tenno watched her. "The greater the challenge, the greater the victory."

 _And the greater the change._ Heron turned to look at the Lotus who shook her head slowly. But not in negation. In sadness? _Lotus?_

"In this, I cannot guide you." The Lotus said sadly. "I want to hold you tight, Heron. I want to keep you and your siblings safe from harm. To keep _all_ of the Tenno safe from harm. But I cannot. Benevolent or not, you would not be free if I were to do so. I refuse to enslave you." She turned to looked around the room and her visible face was set. " _Any_ of you."

"So instead, you manipulate us." Viveka snapped from where the Ivara warframe stood, arms crossed.

"I give instructions in certain situations." The Lotus replied calmly. "You do not _have_ to follow those instructions. You are _not_ slaves. _Now_ anyway. You are Tenno."

Tiana glanced to where Karl stood with others of his clan. A small gesture told her than he would not stop her. His support meant a lot to her. It always had ever since he had found her and shown her a better way of living that the chosen path of the Grineer.

"I am ready." Tiana said with a nod. Heron returned it with a smile.

The world -no, the _universe!_ \- opened up to her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Meetings of Minds**

[Somewhere outside of time and space]

She was sitting on a moving platform made of energy. Energy crackled all around her, but she felt no fear. She wasn't alone. The small form who knelt beside her nodded to her.

"You are very brave, Tenno Tiana." Heron said softly. "Far braver than I would be."

"For so long, I was taught that bravery was essential." Tiana said softly, looking around in wonder. "That only obedience and unthinking bravery mattered. Karl taught me a better way, a more balanced way. I never thought..." She broke off and shook her head. "I was a lousy Grineer."

"The Grineer _do_ have a number of strengths." Heron replied. Tiana looked at him and he shrugged. "Not just their overwhelming numbers. Numbers alone do not win a battle."

"No, but they _help_." Tiana said with a grin that Heron shared. "Except against us. But I know what you are saying. Grineer see through a very tight lens. They are not distracted by anything. This is a strength, but also a weakness." She looked away. As far as she could see, energy coruscated in various colors. It was beautiful. "This is your mind, isn't it?"

"A representation of my mind." Heron looked out as well and his face was melancholy. "No offense, but no Tenno is _physically_ capable of handling the stresses of the full exposure and the _last_ thing I want to do is hurt you further. It was never supposed to be like this, but... we do what we can."

"What about someone like Nikis?" Tiana asked after a moment. Heron shook his head and Tiana winced. "Ouch."

"He might be able to channel it, he might not." Heron looked tired for a moment. "But frankly? The last thing _I_ want to do is add to his burdens. It might make him mad."

"Not a good idea, no." Tiana said with a smile that faded. "The others will want to know what you are doing and why. They will ask a lot of questions."

"We will give the answers we have." Heron promised. "We don't know everything, but what we do know, we will tell you. We all understand about being slaves, Tenno Tiana and-" He paused as Tiana raised a hand. "Yes?"

"Call me 'Tiana'." The young Tenno said quietly. "Either this is the best trick I have ever heard of or you are my brother." Heron stared at her and she smiled. "I hope you are my brother."

"I want to be." Heron's voice was nearly inaudible. "But what we did to you and the others was a violation. Hawk doesn't see anything wrong with what we did. The rest of us _do_. If the need hadn't been so great, we wouldn't have done what we did. But it was and we did. Now we have to deal with the consequences."

"We go on. We survive, adapt and overcome." Tiana agreed. "What now?" Heron held out a hand to her and she eyed it. "What will happen?"

"I will forge an unbreakable link between us." Heron was calm, but anticipation hinted too. "I focused on the Naramon school. I have never done this intentionally, so I don't know exactly what will happen. There is danger."

"Danger is our job." Tiana replied as she reached out to take Heron's hand.

She couldn't help it. She screamed as his eyes flared with energy, boring into her and she saw... everything.

 **Citadel**

Everything stopped as the hologram of Heron vanished and Tiana screamed. All of the Tenno had weapons in hand -for all the good they would do- as Tiana collapsed to her knees. More than one of the watchers recoiled as a golden form appeared over her slumped body. The boy floated in midair, his hands hanging down loose. But his face was stricken as Tiana continued to scream.

 _No!_ Heron screamed silently. _She is going too far! Lotus! Help!_

"Heron!" The Lotus snapped. "Focus! Help her! Guide her! You can do it!"

 _I... Yes._ Heron's face relaxed into a calm mien of control and Tiana's scream faded. _Come on, sister. Stop scaring us._

 _He-...Heron?_ Tiana's voice was the same as Heron's! It came from nowhere and everywhere. _I... I feel..._

 _Be true to the Code, sister._ Heron said quietly. _Tenno serve, we do not rule._

 _Tenno serve._ Tiana's voice grew stronger as she quoted the most ancient of Tenno tenets. _We do not rule. As the First Tenno commanded, so we obey. I am Tenno. I serve._ Her tone turned reflective. _This is very weird, Heron._

 _I know._ The incorporeal Tenno boy said sadly. _Only one of us can be in motion at a time. When I channel through the warframe, it will phase. It will not be totally there. I can use my power through you, but it will disable the warframe -and you- for a few moments. You won't be vulnerable due to the energy release, but you won't be able to move the warframe. What you_ **can** _do..._ He hurried to explain as more than one of the surrounding Tenno inhaled in worry. _...is move_ **me** _._

 _Move_ **you** _?_ Tiana asked as if the two of them were alone in the huge room.

 _Try walking forward._ Heron sounded almost gleeful. The hovering spectral form floated forward and Tiana gasped. _See? Not that hard. You can move me and direct the energy flow from me. If I try... well... it will be bad._

 _Don't do anything._ Tiana warned. _Not here. Not now._

 _Not with Nikis_ **and** _Sun both aiming weapons at you -me-, I won't._ Heron replied with a chuckle. The black Nekros and white Loki Prime did not lower their weapons. _We cannot maintain the link for long without the possibility of damage. Releasing... now._

The spectral boy hovering in front of Tiana vanished and the Mirage warframe jerked. It rose to its feet, somewhat shakily. Tiana shook her head as the hologram of Heron reappeared beside the Lotus.

"That was..." Tiana did not move as Alicia and Healer Iriana stepped forward to scan her. "I was... Wow."

"What happened?" Karl demanded, his Hek not up or aimed, but in hand.

"I saw through his eyes." Tiana said softly, awe in every tone. Regret sang as well. "Or, through his mind. I saw what I was. It... distressed me." She bowed her head. "I am _so_ flawed."

 _Sister, stop._ Heron's voice cut through the sudden silence like a knife. _No one can judge us as harshly as we judge ourselves. Yes, you have flaws. So do I. So does everyone. So what?_

"You are a jerk, Heron." Tiana complained mildly as Alicia finished her scans, gave the Mirage's hand a squeeze and then stepped back. Iriana continued to scan, her face set. "Seeing myself as I am, with no blinkers on... It hurt." She said softly. "But not physically. I have a long way to go."

 _The greatest of journeys begins with a single step, sister._ Heron said quietly. _But if you wish, I will walk that road with you. I too see my own flaws and yes, they are legion._

"I guess..." Tiana paused as Iriana made a face. "Healer?"

"The power flowing through you hurt you on a molecular level, Tiana." Iriana said flatly. "Medical. Now." More than one person hissed as Tiana shook her head. "Tiana. _Now._ " The Healer commanded.

"We need to settle this, Iriana." Tiana said calmly as she rose to her feet. "It wasn't his fault. I held it too long. Right, Heron?"

 _I don't know._ The spectral Tenno said softly. _Lotus?_

"The energy discharges are Void energy." The Lotus said as Iriana snarled softly at Tiana's intransigence. "They shouldn't have hurt her in a warframe." She sounded dubious. "Heron. They need to understand what happened and make sure it won't happen again. Let go of her."

"No!" Tiana snapped as Heron looked at her. "It isn't his-" She jerked and then stared at Iriana who was withdrawing a small device from where she had touched Tiana's neck with it. "Healer?" Her face held betrayal as she collapsed. Iriana caught her and hefted her easily.

"Emotions are running high." Iriana said softly as Alicia came up, her posture stiff with tension. "We need time to think this all through. We need time to digest all of the information and to make sure she took no hurt. We need to remain professional."

 _Please._ Heron's impassioned plea silence the mutters that started. _Help her. She is so brave and I scared her so badly._

"Stay away from her." Iriana commanded and the boy nodded as the Healer and the Trinity carried Tiana from the hall. The Lotus looked after them and then at Heron who seemed to wilt in his chair.

"You will obey." It wasn't a question from the blue garbed, masked woman.

 _Yes Lotus._ Heron's tone was stoic now. _The best thing for me to do is to let her recover. She was not ready. I tried to limit the flow, Lotus. I really did._

"Even warframes cannot hold your power for long, Heron." The Lotus said sadly. "I don't want to put you and the others back into the dream. But I may have no choice."

 _We know, Lotus._ Heron said quietly. _Even Hawk agrees._ He grinned a bit weakly. _There is a first time for everything, huh?_

"Hawk... agreed?" The Lotus said softly, her visible set face in a line. "Heron, is Hawk awake now?"

 _Yes._ Heron sounded concerned. _She is sad, but she is focused on watching only._

"Watching _who?_ " The Lotus demanded. "Hawk!" She snapped and another chair appeared. This one held a girl whose face was tight with suppressed emotion. "Stop!"

 _Lotus._ The one called Hawk said calmly. But her face was still twisted.

"If you hurt anyone at _all_ , Hawk, they will _never_ trust you. Ever." The Lotus said sharply. "Stop whatever you are doing. Now." All of the other Tenno in the room stared from the female hologram being to the male one and then at the Lotus whose posture was firm.

 _They won't trust anyway, Lotus. You know this._ Hawk retorted. _They are all too_ **human** _._ The last word was an epithet.

"Hawk!" The Lotus threw her hands up in the air and muttered something that sounded decidedly rude. "Don't make me spank you. I will." Not a threat. A promise.

 _You insult our brethren, Hawk._ Heron said softly. _Reconsider your words, sister._

"'If they follow the Code and honor the ancestors, then Tenno they be.'" Raven's calm voice silenced Hawk's retort. "So the First commanded. So we obey." She bowed her head and every Tenno in the room did likewise. Heron did the same. Hawk...froze.

 _The First didn't say that!_ Hawk snapped at Raven. _Some Elders did!_

"And who do ya think they were quoting, hmmm?" Nikis asked. Hawk seemed to jump out of the chair as she saw him. "We may cut ya some slack for what ya gone through, girl. But there _are_ limits."

 _Grandmaster!_ Heron begged. _Please don't hurt her! Right or wrong, she is my sister!_

"Ya think I don't know anger, rage and hate, Heron?" Nikis asked softly. Heron went still and then shook his head. "I have lived them for far longer than you and yours have been around." He shook his head and grunted sourly. "Ya think ya are better than us." This was to Hawk and it wasn't a question.

 _I am._ Hawk replied.

"Hawk!" Lotus and Heron chorused. "Be respectful!"

"She is." Nikis shrugged and... _his pistols went to his sides_. "As much as she can. Ya see..." His tone was odd now. Not gentle. Almost anticipatory? "I trained a lot of Tenno. It wasn't my focus until the idiot Orokin did what they did and the ones here shut themselves off. Eventually, I was persuaded to. Didn't think I would enjoy it, but I did at times. I got a lot of help to train them right. Ya were watching." Not a question but Hawk jerked a nod. "Ya ain't a Tenno, girl."

 _I am!_ Hawk snapped.

" _You_..." Nikis drawled the word out. "...do not get to decide that." Hawk shook her head savagely and the ancient Nekros shook his. "I didn't have a lot of use for mealy mouthed paladins. Still don't." His voice was reflective now. "None of ya took a Trial. None of ya are Tenno." This was cold and hard. Raven lifted a hand, but then dropped it to her side. In such, _he_ was the eldest. His will was law. Heron stared at Nikis and his brave front collapsed. He slumped in his chair, stricken. Hawk just stared at the Nekros. But then, Nikis spoke again. "Yet."

Everyone jerked as the Nekros strode forward to stand beside Elder Raven. He didn't speak again., He crossed his arms and waited.

 _I..._ Heron seemed to swallow hard and then looked at Hawk. _He is right, sister. Lotus... I..._

 _We are Ten Zero!_ Hawk snapped. _We are monsters!_

"And is that all you want to be?" Elder Raven asked sadly. Hawk stared at her and then at the surrounding Tenno. "Hawk, we all know about being monsters. We all have the same thing beating in our chests. The need to rend and tear to assuage the emotions that rage within us. We don't share your power, but power alone does not make any of us what we are." Hawk was shaking her head again. "Hawk, I know what the Orokin did. They _made_ my family. They _made_ my mother and father." She slumped a bit. "My blood sister and I were surprises. That she took up a warframe when she was of age was to be expected. I was sentenced to death in one. But I didn't die. Where there is life, Hawk, there is hope."

 _What hope?_ Hawk demanded. _They... tore... They tore me open and..._

"I know." Raven said sadly. "You were not the only one they did such to, Hawk." Hawk stared at her and then at the Lotus.

"The Orokin... did not like Tenno forming relationships." The Lotus said sadly. "As often as they could, they took those they found and... wiped them. When they could not do that, they denied any Tenno who they felt had transgressed the ability to bear children. Raven was a different case. The Corpus hurt her. Very badly. Their experiments took the chance of bearing children from her." Hawk stared at Raven who nodded. "And yes. She too was awake and aware when they took her future from her. Somewhat different situations, but... still..." Raven bowed her head.

 _I..._ Hawk swallowed hard.

"No one is denying what you went through, Hawk." Raven said gently. "It was _horrific_. But I _**do**_ _understand_. You and your kin are extremely powerful. But you are neither gods _nor_ demons. What do you want to be?"

 _I..._ It was unclear if Hawk was capable of speech at the moment.

 **I** _want to be Tenno._ Heron said into the silence. _I want to be Naramon and be Tenno_

"The old schools have faded." Sun spoke up from the side. "Not many remember, but some of us do. Nikis?"

"Madurai, Naramon, Unairu, Vazarin and Zenurik have survived in some form." Nikis said quietly. "Not always the forms we remember but recognizable. Ya want to bring them back?" His tone was considering.

 _We need the focus._ Heron said quietly. _With such, we can channel bits of our power to assist Tenno in the field. It doesn't even take conscious thought. But... not without permission. What we did to Tiana and the others was wrong._

 _It saved_ **our** _lives_ **and** _theirs._ Hawk retorted, her emotions under control again. _Should we have requested permission of an Elder and gaggle of other people while the guy was standing there with a_ **sword** _?_

 _Hawk._ Heron's tone was flat now.

"No, no." Nikis waved at Heron and the boy shut up. "Let's hear her out. Ya think it was right, doing what ya did, girl? Ya want to rule?" Hawk actually recoiled at that.

 _No!_ Hawk wasn't faking that burst of indignation. Nor the pulse of power that accompanied it. The Lotus waved a hand and the energy vanished before it could go any further. _Sorry Lotus._

"Just be careful, Hawk." The Lotus said in a tone of resignation. "Nikis is going to push your buttons. It is what he _does_." Nikis made a 'Who me?' gesture and she ignored him. "But if you hurt anyone here, they _will_ retaliate and no, you will _not_ survive." Hawk stared at her and the Lotus shook her head. "I don't want to lose _any_ of my children, Hawk. Please try to be calm." She begged.

 _Yes, Lotus._ Hawk relaxed for a moment and then focused on Nikis. _No. I do not want to rule, Grandmaster Nikis. I am not suited for it and no one will trust me._

"Heron said it well. Trust has to be _earned_." Nikis retorted. "What was done to y'all was a horror even by Orokin standards. But in order to get respect, ya have to _give_ it. Ya are gonna have difficulty with that." No insult. Simply an observation.

 _I can accept_ **your** _authority._ Hawk said after a moment. _Can you teach us?_ Nikis shook his head and she snarled. _Why not?_

 _Hawk!_ Heron pleaded.

"It ain't her fault she is the way she is, boy." Nikis was actually _kind_ now. "Life fracks people _hard_. I am not a good teacher anymore, girl. But I know someone who _is_." Raven jerked and shook her head. He shrugged. "Yeah. Lis."

"Nikis." Raven warned. "She is not a warrior now."

"No, but she _is_ a good teacher." Nikis retorted. Hawk stared at him and then her face went still. "Yeah. Lis knows the true face of evil. She has seen it and taken scars from it."

 _I thought Tenno Lis was tending Tenno Sara._ Hawk said slowly. More than one of the watchers stiffened at her tone and she hastened to explain. _We saw a lot while dreaming. It didn't make much sense to us. Dreams don't always. Fragments. Pieces. Snippets of lives. She was hurt. Both of them._

"Lis adopted Sara." Elder Raven said quietly. "But she is still a teacher. Nikis... She won't neglect Sara."

"She won't have to."


	6. Chapter 6

**Forging trust**

Tiana jerked awake. She was still in her warframe. She was lying on a table in a medical ward. Not one she knew, but the decor and equipment were Tenno. Probably the Citadel. Voices came to her warframe's auditory sensors and she listened.

"She is hurt." Healer Iriana was not happy. "She is not thinking clearly."

" _She_ is not the one who is not thinking clearly, Iriana." Alicia's voice was cold. "Knocking her out was not warranted. She wasn't resisting. She wanted to help solve the problem. You doing what you did probably made her angry. It would make _me_ angry." A snort came from another voice and Alicia groaned. "Don't start, Roger."

"Don't break any of my medical ward then." The voice of a male Tenno held humor mixed with wariness. "Healer. That was uncalled for. She wasn't resisting."

"Her body had taken damage on the _molecular_ level." Iriana said sourly. "I didn't know what effect if any it might have had on her energy. She was _delaying_ and I didn't want to take the chance."

"The warframe _healed_ her body as designed." Alicia retorted. "There is _no_ degradation of her energy. You took control from her. For no reason." Tiana went still as Iriana made a small sound, almost a sob.

 _Heron._ Tiana spoke into her mind. The response was immediate.

 _Tenno Tiana._ The boy said formally. _You should not be speaking to me this way. They needed to make sure you took no hurt. I held you in the energy stream too long. They can detect that we are talking._

 _You did nothing wrong._ Tiana swung her legs off the table and stood up carefully. Everything worked as it should. _We learn by doing, no?_

 _I guess._ Heron said with a sigh. _We will need to learn a lot. Even Hawk realizes that. Nikis has declared that we are not Tenno yet._ Tiana inhaled in shock, but Heron was quick to continue. _He says we will be given the chance to prove ourselves. And- Uh... Lotus is glaring at me. She does that very well even without being able to see her eyes. I better stop talking._

 _I am coming._ Tiana strode to the door and opened it to see Iriana standing with a Volt and Alicia just outside. All of them turned to stare at her. She ignored them, striding for the door to the medical ward.

"Tiana, I... I am sorry." Iriana said as she followed. "I was frightened for you." Alicia and the Volt -Roger?- came as well. The Volt stepped faster to get in front, but then stayed close, guiding them.

"That was rude, Healer." Tiana did not slow. "I understand why you did it. But it was _still_ rude." She nodded to Alicia. "Any damage?"

"Some energy trauma." Alicia said quietly. "Minor only and the warframe healed it before you arrived here. Your core energy is intact."

"Good." Tiana shook her head. "The sheer power involved boggles the mind, but Heron was trying very hard _not_ to hurt me. I just talked to him. He seems shaken up."

"Tiana." Alicia said softly. "We don't know him."

" _You_ don't know him." Tiana countered. "You have no reason to trust him. I _do_. He could have taken control again. He didn't. He could have done all that he did swiftly and with no chance for me to resist. He didn't. That doesn't proven anything to you, I know." She continued when Alicia shook her head. "But to me, he is _trying_."

"Tiana..." Iriana protested from where she was following.

"It is the right of any Tenno to stand with one she feels worthy of protection, no?" Tiana demanded of Alicia who nodded a bit dubiously. "I stand for him. Them."

"Begging your pardon, sister." The Volt said slowly. "But you don't sound very rational right now."

"I am angry, brother." Tiana admitted. "But _not_ with Iriana. She is just doing her job. I am _furious_ at the Orokin for what they did to those kids. This was the only way for me to face my fear of what happened. I did. Taking control of me -of us- saved their lives from the Stalker and the Sentients." She shook her head again as Roger entered an elevator. The others followed him in. "Now... I am and _will be_ angry about that. All eight of us have cause for fear and anger. But I understand why they did it and frankly? They had no choice."

"Tiana." Alicia said in a warning tone.

"Alicia, I am not saying this will work." Tiana said quietly as they waited for the elevator to travel. "I am certainly not saying it will be easy, because it most _definitely_ won't be." All three of the others nodded at her words. "But... Iriana... They are _kids_. Incredibly powerful, _hurt_ kids." She looked at the Healer who slumped bit. "Yes, what they did frightened me a great deal. I am not over that. I need to talk to Brianna when I get back to the dojo. But there is one thing I do know. They _want_ to do the right thing, Healer. They want to aid us. All of us."

"I..." Iriana sighed and nodded as the elevator came to as top and the door opened. Roger led the way again and the others followed. "So many upheavals recently, Tiana. Mishka... My mate... The Lotus. I am reeling. Taking refuge in what I know how to do." Tiana reached out and took the Healer's hand in her own. "I am sorry."

"You meant well." Tiana gave Iriana's hand a squeeze before releasing it. "I am not really angry with you for doing what you are called to do. As I say, I am angry with the Orokin for hurting Heron and his siblings. The more I learn about the Orokin... The _less_ I want to know."

"From what I have gathered, the Orokin would have just executed them all if not for this Margulis woman." Alicia said after a moment. "She must have been something else to keep the kids alive for so long."

"We heard her." Tiana said sadly as they walked. "Echoes preserved in the energy of the Moon. She loved them. They hurt her without meaning to and she loved them anyway." She gave a small sad, laugh that had little humor. "She told off the Executors right before they killed her. I hope Heron and the others never heard that."

"Tiana, they must have affected you somehow." Alicia said firmly. "This is not like you."

"Affected me?" Tiana asked as they walked. "Yes." She mused. The others looked at her and she shrugged. "Anyone with empathy would feel something after hearing their story. We haven't heard all of it." Alicia shook her head and Tiana shrugged. "They have to earn our trust, Alicia. But we also have to earn theirs. They _could_ simply take control. But they don't _want_ to."

She went still as a door head of Roger opened and he led the way into the large room she had been in before. Everyone was still there. Karl stepped to her side, scrutinizing her and she nodded to the clan leader.

"Tenno Tiana." Elder Raven said with a smile. "We are glad you took no hurt." Tiana nodded to the Elder and looked to where the Lotus stood with _two_ holographic forms beside her. The boy was Heron. The girl looked angry. Raven nodded. "Grandmaster Nikis has spoken." Tiana tensed, but Raven smiled again. "He has declared to give them a chance to prove themselves."

"Do they have a sponsor?" Tiana asked the silent room. Raven shook her head and Tiana nodded. "I sponsor."

"Tiana..." Alicia groaned under her breath as the room seemed to explode with conversation.

Tiana ignored all of that, stepping to where the Lotus stood. The Mirage bowed to the Lotus who nodded. Tiana looked at Heron who bowed his head, then at the holographic girl who just looked at her.

"My name is Tiana." The Mirage said formally. "I don't believe we have met."

"I..." The girl swallowed and nodded. "I have seen you in my dreams, but no. We have not met properly. I am Hawk." Tiana gave her a nod of agreement and moved to stand by the Lotus who smiled at her.

"This is insane." All conversations topped as the Viveka stepped forward. "We are just going to let them corrupt her?"

"They are not." Tiana replied evenly. "I understand if you think that. But that is fear talking, sister. Fear of the unknown. The only way to face that fear is to seek understanding."

"What I understand is that you are betraying our kind." Viveka snapped.

"No, I am not." Tiana was calm. "And I can prove it."

"Nothing you say or do can be trusted!" Viveka had her hand on her crossbow now. No one else moved. Nikis and Sun were silent statues. Tiana shrugged. "What?"

"If you won't believe anything I say or do, then what is the point in my saying _anything_?" Tiana asked reasonably. "I will not _say_. I will _do_. I stand for them." She drew her Jat Kittag and held it ready, eliciting a murmur of disbelief from the crowd. Heron and Hawk both stared at her, jaws dropping. The Lotus looked sad.

"You would stand against your kin?" Viveka asked, incredulous.

"No." Tiana might have been carved from ice now. "I stand _for_ my kin. _All_ of them. Even you." Viveka recoiled a step, her hand clenching on her Ballistica. "I have touched Heron's mind. He could have warped me, twisted me, turned me into a metal puppet dancing on strings. He _didn't._ " Tiana did not take her eyes off Viveka. "How many of _us_ would have such self control? I wouldn't." She admitted.

"And how do we knew he didn't?" Viveka demanded angrily. "You are acting like he did."

"Grandmaster Sun." Tiana said calmly. Everything stopped in the room as Tiana turned to the Loki Prime. "I humbly ask your assistance."

"I cannot vet you." Sun replied quietly. "Opening myself to such a mental bond would violate a number of oaths of secrecy."

"I am not asking that." Tiana replied evenly. The master interrogator looked at her and she nodded. "I want Intelligence to keep a closer eye on me. To prove to the intransigents that I am not being controlled." Viveka snarled, but did not speak.

"If a person is decided to focus on hate, they will not see anything else." Sun replied. "You cannot change anyone else, Tenno Tiana."

"I know. But we need them and they need us." Tiana looked at Viveka and bowed her head. "Sister, please. They mean no harm to us." She pleaded.

"I don't believe you." Viveka snapped. "I am leaving."

Tiana bowed her head further as Raven nodded, her face sad. The Ivara warframe moved to the door and vanished. Sun shook his head but did not speak as Tiana looked at the pair of holographic young beings. Then she looked at the Lotus who gave her a small nod.

"What has been decided?" Tiana asked quietly.

"Grandmaster Nikis has decided that these will be given a chance." Raven kept her voice calm, but her face was severe. "He declared that they did not take a Trial and that they must."

"I can see that." Tiana nodded to the pitch black Nekros. "It will not be easy. If I may, Grandmaster?" Nikis grunted and Tiana forged ahead. "Why not ask one of the First to vet them?" Shades of the very first Tenno would be invaluable in such a situation. Nyx in particular could make things so much easier.

"Because they are asleep and have earned their rest." Nikis replied without heat. "Millennia of being forced to guard the Orokin game in the database took their toll. I won't wake any of them without a darn good reason. Neither will any of the rest of us. We can handle this without them."

Tiana nodded. There really wasn't anything she could say to that. She lowered her hammer until it's head touched the floor. She was ready, but not hostile. Hawk looked at her and Tiana nodded to the girl.

"You are crazy." Hawk said with a grimace. "As crazy as Nikis."

"It's been said." Tiana replied, keeping her tone light. She shook her head as Raven shook hers again.

"Tiana, we have decided that they need instruction. We will ask Lis if she can do so." The Elder said quietly. Tiana stiffened and Raven nodded. "I know."

"Lis joined Amelia's Voices to protect Sara." The Mirage said slowly. Raven nodded. "She won't leave for fear of leaving Sara vulnerable."

"Yeah. I know."

* * *

 **Far across the system**

"No." The silver gowned being could have been a statue. The face was hidden behind a shimmering holo that looked like water falling. It was next to impossible to tell if the one was male or female, but the _feel_ was female. "You cannot ask that of her."

The room was bare and utterly devoid of anything that might be a sensor of any kind. It had taken some doing, but it had been done. The Voices had insisted. Many of them chose to join the group to hide from their past. All that was in the room was the silver gowned being and one other.

"It is needed." The Saryn warframe that stood in front of the silver gowned woman might also have been a statue. "Things have changed significantly, and we need to change as well."

"That one joined the Voices to protect her daughter." The Voice said firmly. "You ask her to leave her daughter vulnerable?" She shook her head. "She won't and you know it, Tenno Mori."

"There are only two places with the facilities to do what would need to be done." Mori said quietly. "Both of which are highly secure and can be made more so." The Voice just looked at her and Mori sighed. "Yes, I know that no security is impenetrable. We are not asking her to reveal her identity or to put her daughter into harm's way. All we ask is that she instruct. She was and _is_ one of the best at that."

"And why can these students not simply join the classes already offered at one of the colonies?" The Voice demanded.

"They cannot physically interact with others safely." Mori said softly. The Voice went stiff and Mori nodded. "They are... hurt. All of them. Broken. I don't know all of what happened. What I _do_ know makes me want to weep."

"Be that as it may, Tenno Mori, we cannot in good conscience ask the being once known as Lis to reveal herself in any way." The Voice replied. "She joined the Voices -indeed, she helped _form_ the Voices- to protect her daughter. We cannot ask that of her."

"I know." Mori said softly. "All I ask that you tell her. No more. Tell her...'Michelle has spoken for her mother'." The Voice stared at Mori who shook her head. "I can say little more, but she will know what that means." The Tenno gave the Voice a deep bow of respect, then she turned and left the room.

"Michelle... has...?" The Voice queried aloud, but to no one. She went still as another woman entered the room, this one clad in an all encompassing white gown. Even her face was covered. "Sister Violet... We cannot."

"We cannot hide the request from Lis." One of the spiritual advisors of the Voices said with a sigh. "Sara is doing well. Abigail and Keiko are also healing. They have banded together to hide themselves and to help the Voices. We want to wrap all four of them in protection, shield them from harm until all of their hurts have healed. But we cannot."

"Lis still needs time." The Voice protested. "She is incredibly strong, but she was hurt so badly. She still had nightmares. We cannot ask this of her. This new group of fanatics will use her if they can find her."

"I am more worried about them trying to do something to Abigail, actually." Violet said with a frown in her voice. "Abigail hasn't entirely mastered her ability. She is still a teenager in mind, if not in body. If innocents are taken hostage to force her hand, she will act to preserve them." The Voice bowed her head. "No matter the cost to her or Keiko. The nuts have been probing around the Shrine. Hence why I am _here_."

"Abigail is not a weapon." The Voice said firmly.

"I know that. You know that. But they _think_ she is." Violet replied. "I like this about as much as you do. About as much as the rest of the Order will. But in the end, Voice... whose choice is it?"

The silver gowned woman bowed her head.

"Lis'."

* * *

 **Somewhere else**

"Michelle has spoken for her mother."

The scene in the small room might have been odd anywhere else. Four silver gowned woman who were impossible to tell apart who stood in a circle around their white robed spiritual advisor. For a long moment, there was silence in the room. It was swept hourly for recording devices or listening devices and the guide had called in a favor with the Tenno. A quick visit by a certain Cyberlancer who wore an Ash warframe and _no one_ unauthorized was going to be listening to this conversation.

Violet knelt in the middle of the floor and waited.

"What could _possibly_ be so necessary as to endanger _three_ vulnerable lives?" One of the Voices finally said. "Sara, Kieko and Abigail are _all_ vulnerable if they show themselves."

"Earth's moon has reappeared in the sky." Violet said quietly. "There was a relic of ancient Tenno power on the Moon. The Sentients enlisted the Stalker to destroy it. They failed, but just barely."

"And?" By design, it was impossible to tell which of the four was speaking. They all looked alike and sounded alike.

"I don't know all of the particulars." Violet said with a shrug. "But whatever happened shook the Tenno badly." All four of the silver garbed woman jerked at that. "There is a word being whispered in dark places. Zarimon."

"Zarimon..." One of the Voices shook her head. "That is not possible." Violet shrugged again. "You ask us to place a sister - _three sisters!_ \- in danger."

"Yes." Violet agreed. All four of the others looked at her and then at each other.

"And they need Lis... _why_?"

"To forge the future."


	7. Chapter 7

**Learning what to learn**

Tiana waited with more than a minor sense of foreboding. She wanted this. She wanted to help the kids. And not because they had twisted her or changed her or brainwashed her. Because they _needed the help_.

Heron and Hawk were powerful beyond belief, but at the same time, both were hideously vulnerable. All of them were according to the Lotus, both physically and emotionally. Tiana had only met Hawk and Heron so far, but the Lotus assured her that the other five were just as much of a mess. If not quite in Hawk's class in messed up. She hoped so anyway.

 _Why here?_ Hawk demanded from where her holo sat. _Why meet us_ **here** _?_ Tiana looked at her and she shook her head. _This place doesn't make sense._

Inside her mind, Tiana agreed with the surly girl. She had expected to be having this conversation at the Citadel or maybe Avalon. Both had been offered. Both had been turned down. Tiana wasn't sure why, but she assumed whatever reason was given wouldn't be good. She just hoped that she could be what was needed.

The Relay that they had been directed to wasn't the largest or best equipped of its kind. Indeed, it was fairly run down. That made a certain amount of sense. This wasn't one of the main communication hubs for the resurgent human race. No, this place had been refurbished as a trading post by an entrepreneur named Maroo. Tiana wasn't sure why the Lotus had given in so quickly when Amelia's Voices had proposed this place and demanded it be the meeting spot. The only reason Tiana could figure out was that the place _looked_ abandoned. No one remotely sane would build something like that near Earth. Not with the Grineer massed do strongly there. There was a great deal of danger, but the clones never seemed to twinge to the fact that a trading post was operating within a million kilometers of their HQ.

Tiana wasn't sure what would happen if they did, but it likely wouldn't be good. Best case scenario, the humans running the depot would either flee or hide while the Grineer tore the place apart. Come to think of it... Tiana scrutinized the walls and stiffened as she saw marks on them. It looked as if the Grineer _did_ search the place fairly frequently. She could read the Grineer writing. It showed a date from last month. The previous date was a year before. So... they would not likely be back sometime soon.

 _Tiana?_ Heron asked from where his holo sat. _Problem?_

"I don't think so." Tiana nodded to the marks on the wall. "That must be why they chose this room, to show us. The Grineer are creatures of habit. They search this place regularly. All they find is a derelict, of which there are millions scattered about the Solar System, many in far better shape than this place." She shook her head in rueful acknowledgement. "This is an inspired hiding place. The best place to hide something where you don't want anyone to find it is in plain sight."

 _That doesn't make any_ **sense** _!_ Hawk declared.

"At first glance no, it doesn't, Hawk." Tiana agreed. "But think about it. If you want to hide something, you _hide_ it, yes?" Hawk stared at her and Tiana shook her head. "So, therefore, if something is sitting out in plain sight, no one is trying to hide it and it can be ignored."

 _That is..._ Hawk paused and then she nodded slowly. She didn't -quite- smile. _That is sneaky._

"Yes it is." Tiana replied with a smile of her own. Hawk was trying. She was not a trusting soul and she was not a kind person by nature. "A man named Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a detective story based on such a thing. It was called 'The Purloined Letter' and said letter was sitting out in plain sight on a shelf the whole story long. I read that story in my training and I have to say, I love Sherlock Holmes. Logic and deduction make for a very different point of view. Not that I am great at it. Certainly not in Holmes' class. But it was great writing."

 _Sherlock Holmes._ Heron mused. _I have heard that name. He was fictional?_

"Yeah." Tiana said sadly. "Pity, I would love to talk to him. But since he wasn't real, the best I can do is simulations based on the books."

She glanced at the other Tenno in the room, but he did not comment. Indeed, he hadn't said a word since arriving. He had introduced himself as 'Rikel' and said he came from Intelligence, but nothing else. The warframe wasn't one that Tiana was familiar with. It had a huge hoop on its back and other hoops attached in places, but it was the weapon at his side that gave Tiana pause. He didn't carry a rifle or pistol. Instead, the long, slim blade seemed to be his only weapon. Some kind of stabbing blade instead of a slashing blade. But he moved like Will. Like a master swordsman. She wasn't sure how to take him, so she simply accepted his presence. Hawk and Heron were not happy with him there, but Tiana was reassured somewhat. She did not want any hints of misconduct now. They had enough problems.

As soon as Viveka had left the Citadel, she had broadcast what had happened. Every single Tenno knew about Heron and Hawk and the others now. Most were ambivalent. As long as they left the Tenno alone, the Tenno would leave them alone. Some though... Viveka was loudest in her denunciations, but there were others who were just as fiery.

None of Karl's clan were involved in that. They were all busy. If Tiana hadn't been in this up to her eyeballs, she would likely be busy too. But the kids did need her. She jerked as the Lotus appeared standing nearby.

"We have concluded negotiations." The Lotus said quietly. "This is not what I had hoped for, but it is the best compromise we could come up with."

"Why here?" Tiana asked. Heron and Hawk looked at her and then at the Lotus.

"Because the Voices refuse to show themselves." The Lotus said quietly. "They became Voices for a reason. Many of them were hiding, or running from things. Some just wanted a fresh start. Lis and Sara will both be arriving shortly. But..." She raised a hand as Tiana nodded. "They will not be alone."

"What?" Tiana exclaimed. "They are needed. The Voices are needed everywhere. To pull several of them... Lotus, we only need Lis."

"They take their vows of anonymity very seriously." The Lotus said softly. "None will show their faces."

 _Then how can we_ **trust** _them?_ Hawk demanded.

"They could say the same for you, Hawk." The Lotus said sadly. "They do not trust us. You. They do not trust me and they hate others I associate with."

 _What?_ Heron sounded stricken. _Why?_

"Long story short?" The Lotus said heavily. "Lis and Sara needed each other. Two others needed to be together. They balked and one of my allies pushed them together. She was right to do it. But it hurt them both, what she did. They hate her, with reason. And since I am affiliated with her at times, they hate _me_. It's not personal, but they will never trust her or me again." Tiana was shaking her head and the Lotus moved on. "Four Voices are coming. I know Lis is one of them. I don't know which one and you will _not_ try to find out." Heron bowed his head in acknowledgement. Hawk did not. "Hawk." The Lotus said firmly. "You will not try to determine which one is Lis. It could put _all_ of them in danger. If you do such, they will deem you untrustworthy and _leave_. If that happens, the Tenno will never accept you. _You will not_."

 _I..._ Hawk shook her head and then bowed it in acknowledgement. _I will not._

"Good girl." The Lotus said with a smile. Tiana noted that Hawk seemed to swell a little from the praise, but then she jerked and returned to her habitual slouch. "I have to go now, before they arrive. But I will be watching through the datastreams. Make me proud, my children."

She vanished as Hawk and Heron looked at each other as other holograms of chairs appeared. Tiana nodded to each as they appeared. Each was different. Different skin, different hair, all with the same sunken eyes that glowed. Seven of them all told, arrayed around Tiana. They all scrutinized her and she accepted their curiosity.

"I am Tiana." The Mirage clad Tenno said formally. "I stand for you."

 _Pleased to meet you, Tiana._ One of the others said quietly. But his voice was like thunder in the silence of her mind. _I am Owl._

"We should probably wait to do introductions until the teacher or teachers arrive." Tiana said with a small frown. "We do not want to seem as if we are hiding anything."

 _Agreed._ Heron said calmly. _The only thing we cannot tell is_ **where** _we are because frankly? We don't know. The Lotus hid us again._

 _So we just lay bare out souls?_ Hawk snapped. _Tell_ **everything** _?_

"No." A new voice had all eyes, both virtual and physical turning to the door that had opened. A silver gowned form stood in it. The being's face was obscured by a shimmering holographic veil of some kind. The Voice looked neither male nor female, obviously by design. It seemed slightly more feminine. "We do not wish your secrets. What is yours, is yours. Not ours."

The Voice strode into the room, followed by three more. They looked completely alike, again, by design. All seemed feminine, but that it was only a feeling. Two moved to either side of the room and each knelt. They did not kneel in seiza, the formal kneeling posture of martial arts. But they did seem ready to move. Tiana bowed to each in turn. Each returned her bow with a nod.

 _You are human._ Hawk said slowly, Tiana hissed at her, but the girl was not angry. More worried. Indeed, her next words... _I mean no offense, but how can you instruct us?_

"You have power beyond belief from what we have been told." One of the other Voices was speaking now. The tones and inflections were the exact same as the first one. "Without control, such power would have destroyed you. So, you do not need lessons in drawing power or using it. What you lack is a reason to use it responsibly."

 _Our mother would object._ Heron said firmly.

"Your mother is a pragmatist." Another Voice spoke and again, same tone and inflections. "She is also your mother. She loves you and you love her. If someone were to threaten you in her presence, she would react... poorly." The Voice shrugged slight. No, all four of them did it at the same time! "And you... if someone were to threaten her in your presence with an attack that she could not respond to or counter? What would you do?"

 _What does this have to do with a Trial?_ Hawk demanded.

"The Trial forces you to face your worst fears, Hawk." Tiana replied. "And before you say you fear nothing, don't _bother_." She snapped as Hawk opened her mouth again. "Fear is primal. _Every_ living thing fears, but not all react to said fear the same. You are not ready for the Trial. It would destroy you or _worse_." Hawk stared at Tiana and the closed her mouth with a click.

"Indeed." The first Voice was speaking again. "There are _far_ worse fates than death. We..." She waved to the others who bowed their heads. "...were asked to help you find a way. One of our number was a teacher and we can and will teach. But it will not be easy or quick. Even with all of the advantages that Tenno have, it will not be easy. For any of you. But you have to want it and we fear _you_ do not." She cast her words to Hawk who flinched back.

 _What?_ Hawk asked, confused.

"You like the way you are." The Voice had focused on Hawk. All four were looking at her. "People notice you. They see you and their reactions do not matter because they notice you." Hawk's mouth dropped open and stare stared at the Voice. "You want to be seen. To be _feared._ " Hawk was shaking her head as the Voice continued her merciless verbal assault. "You want everyone else to know your pain."

 _Enough!_ Hawk managed to grate out past clenched teeth. _I...I won't..._

"You want to burn me. Burn everyone here." The Voice continued as if she hadn't spoken. "But you know that if you do, things will go worse for you." She rose to her feet and stepped towards Hawk who stared at her. The other kids hissed in worry and Tiana tensed, but the Voice waved to the Mirage. "You believe power is to be used. That you can do as you wish."

 _No._ Hawk snapped through clenched teeth. _I don't._

"Prove it." The Voice held out her hand to Hawk. "Show _us_ what _you_ want. Burn me down. Or don't."

 _Ma'am!_ Heron protested. He gave a small cry as Hawk raised her hand from the armrest of her chair. The holographic appendage reached out to the Voice's hand and... clasped it. Hawk gasped as the Voice's hand clasped Hawk's and her other hand came up to cover Hawk's now trembling hand.

 _I..._ Hawk stared at her hand, at the hands that held it. She was a hologram and the Voice was _holding her hand physically_. That wasn't possible. Was it? _You... I..._

"You could hurt me now, Hawk." The Voice said gently. "Why are you not?"

 _It would be wrong._ Hawk seemed to be afraid to move. Her head was bowed.

"Why?" The Voice asked her. "Because some Elder said it was? Because some long gone Tenno demanded things he or she refused to explain? Why would it be wrong, Hawk?"

 _Because you are trying to make me angry._ Hawk said firmly. _I won't let you win._ She went still as the Voice sighed. _What?_

"This is not a conflict, Hawk." The Voice gave her hand another impossible squeeze. "We are trying to help. No one can be angry all the time, Hawk. Not even a madman is angry all the time. We were told what you endured and you have our sympathy. You cannot face any Trial such as the ones that were described to us and hope to survive it." The Voice paused as Hawk looked away. "Oh. I see. You do not _want_ to survive."

 _Don't..._ Hawk's voice was tiny now.

"This will not be easy for you, child. For child you are still. All of you..." She turned to look at the other holograms who had frozen in place. "The Orokin did not allow you to grow up." Tiana hissed as the Voice suddenly bent down and embraced Hawk who stared up at her with glistening eyes. "You are not alone, child. We will help you. If you wish it. But _only_ if you wish it."

 _Please let go._ Hawk begged. _I can't... I can't control it. Only the Lotus can survive touching us. Only her. Anyone else... Please let go!_

"For so long, you had to be alone." The Voice said, but she _did_ release Hawk's hand. "Now? You are not. This will not be easy, or quick, or fun. You will hate me -us- before this is over. But we _can_ help you. _If_ you so choose."

 _We are dangerous. Monstrous!_ Hawk protested.

"You are scared, hurting and alone." The Voice retorted evenly. "Any living being has the potential to be monstrous, to do monstrous things. For most, it is a choice. Do you _want_ to be monsters?"

 _No._ Hawk said softly. _But we have no choice._

"No?" The Voice asked as she stepped back to her place and knelt again. "Then why is Tenno Tiana here? Why is she not a Grineer still?" All eyes turned to Tiana who bowed her head in acknowledgement. "That was a massive change, Tenno Tiana. Were you ready for it?"

"Not hardly." Tiana scoffed. "Didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. My old body was falling apart. I didn't know that Karl had planned to make me a new one, but I feel nothing but gratitude to the clan, even though the change and everything were terrifying."

 _Why would you be afraid?_ Heron asked when no one else spoke. _Your clan wouldn't have hurt you._

"I wasn't worthy of what they did for me, Heron." Tiana said flatly. "I went to sleep a dying Grineer and woke up in my Trial." She shook her head. "Karl is sneaky as hell. Tenno bodies are different. Everyone said that, but I didn't understand. I was afraid that I would become some abhuman thing. Like I had been before." She shook her head again. "Should have had more faith in my clan. They were not going to make me another body that would fall apart in weeks." She nodded to Hawk. "Change is always frightening, Hawk. But it is not necessarily _bad_."

 _Do you regret?_ Hawk asked.

"I have regrets." Tiana said quietly. "I will never know who I was cloned from. Tyl Regor destroyed the body that my genetic came from in his experiments. I was the only survivor from the batch of clones he made for his experiments. But the past is past. We can run from it or learn from it. I choose to learn from it. And if I can hurt Tyl Regor _legally_?" Her laugh was cold. "I really enjoy it when I get sent to the Uranus Sea Labs, to 'deal' with his clones. But I know it is a mental foible and I am working on it. Vengeance is not our job. We are Tenno. We serve."

 _I..._ Hawk shook her head. When she spoke again, her normal fire was heard. _You are crazy._

"Yep." Tiana laughed . "Ain't it grand?" Hawk stared at her and then laughed as well. It was freer, that laugh. The holographic girl bowed her head.

 _What do we do?_ She asked the Voices. _I don't know what to do._

"The first step on the road to understanding is to acknowledge what one does not know." The Voice sounded satisfied now.

"So... let us see what you _do_ know."


	8. Chapter 8

**Obstacles**

Tiana was fascinated.

The Voices, all four of the, were doing a marvel. The kids were opening up, even Hawk. The girl was unlikely to ever win any popularity contests, but she was talking to the Voices, explaining what she knew. The others were far more animated. Or... most of them. One other girl hadn't spoken at all. Tiana edged her way slowly to where that hologram sat in her chair. The girl looked at her and then at the others, her face serene. She wasn't angry, she just didn't talk.

"Hi." Tiana said quietly, not wanting to interrupt Hawk talking to the Voice. The girl she was standing beside nodded to her and Tiana smiled under her helmet. "Don't like talking, do you?" The girl shook her head and Tiana nodded. "Can't really blame you for that. Too many talk just to hear themselves speak. I try not to."

The girl smiled at her, but then focused on what Hawk was saying. Tiana shook her head as Hawk calmly argued an abstruse point about what was 'real' and what was not. Tiana stood by the girl, hoping her presence alone would help. The girl eyed her occasionally as Hawk debated with the Voice, but did not speak. Tiana shook her head as Hawk finished her argument and waited for the Voice's response.

"Well reasoned." The Voice sounded appreciate and Hawk beamed. "But have you considered..."

Tiana was hardly the only one to stare as the Voice started getting more and more technical. Hawk was following everything, her eyes alight with a hunger that had nothing to do with physical needs. The girl beside Tiana stared and then looked at Tiana, her smile wide. Tiana nodded.

 _I am Falcon._ The girl said softly enough that only Tiana could likely hear her. Tiana gave her another nod. _I didn't know what to expect._

"The unknown is always a bit frightening." Tiana reassured the girl. "One reason I am here. Don't feel a need to do anything to please me." She warned. "I am here for you, not myself."

 _We never had anyone outside of our group that we could talk to._ Falcon said shyly. _It's all new and strange._

"At least you can talk to your siblings." Tiana shrugged. "Mine didn't want anything to do with me. Then I found a _real_ family and I haven't looked back."

 _Except for revenge on Tyl Regor._ Falcon said softly. Tiana glanced at her and Falcon shook her head. _I don't blame you._

"Revenge on a clone who can be replaced in a matter of minutes is a waste of effort." Tiana said with a grunt. "But it does make me feel better at times. As long as it doesn't interfere with my duties, the clan won't interfere. If it does? I get a stern talking to." Falcon smiled at Tiana's tone.

 _We didn't mean to do what we did._ Falcon said sadly. _I didn't mean to hurt anyone._

"Falcon, we were all down. Disabled." Tiana said reasonably. " _You_ were all discovered, vulnerable. I am not saying it was the right thing to do. But looking back, it was the _only_ thing to do. If the Sentients or Stalker had wiped you out... I doubt that would have been good for us."

 _We don't know._ Falcon looked scared for a moment and then her face smoothed. _You are all sapient yourselves. Not puppets, not simple tools. I think you will go on if we...fall._

"I would rather not find out any time soon if it all the same to you." Tiana said primly and Falcon actually giggled at her tone.

 _Me neither._ Both female paused as Rikel waved to Tiana.

"Be good." Tiana quipped at Falcon who smiled at her as the Mirage made her way towards the warframe that she still wasn't sure what to call. When she was standing beside him, she spoke softly. "Yes?"

"We have a situation." Rikel's voice was calm and collected. "Tenno Viveka has discovered the existence of this meeting and is on her way with some of her friends to disrupt it. And by 'disrupt', I mean with explosives.."

"Just what we needed." Tiana said sourly. "I do not want to fight kin. Not today."

"They are not going to listen to reason." Rikel replied.

"And having a pitched _battle_ in the middle of Maroo's Bazaar will not endear us to her." Tiana was thinking hard. Then she paused. "Rikel, what is the Naramon school's focus?"

"Knowing one's enemy." The other replied instantly. All conversation in the room stopped as he laughed. "You wouldn't?"

"Ah... Tenno?" One of the Voices asked as Hawk looked at her, her face sour at the interruption.

"We have a complication." Tiana said sadly. "Tenno Viveka is not one to let things lie. Neither are her friends. They are coming here and they are probably seeking weapons, not enlightenment." This was to Rikel who nodded. "Reasoning with them is likely not going to be possible. So... We need to stop them. Preferably without hurting them."

 _That can be done._ This was Owl speaking. But he was also shaking his head. _But we cannot hold them indefinitely._

"You won't have to." Tiana's grin under her faceplate was vicious.

"Heron, we are up."

* * *

 **Thirty minutes later**

Tiana stood silently in the middle of the walkway that led from the landing areas to the main concourse of Maroo's Bazaar. There was no way for anyone to pass by her unless they were invisible. Viveka could, she wore an Ivara warframe after all. But stealth wasn't why the other Tenno was coming.

 _I do not like this._ Heron's mind touched her own and Tiana responded with a mental grimace. _I know you do not either, but still... Tenno do not fight Tenno._

 _Viveka does not see you as Tenno, Heron._ Tiana said sadly. _She will kill you if she can, or at least disrupt any chance you have of taking a Trial. Pragmatically speaking, this is not a bad thing._ She felt Heron's shock at her calm pronunciation. _You have shown your power. Now you need to show if you have restraint._

 _Do you think Grandmaster Nikis might have set this up?_ Heron asked, worried. _As a test?_

 _I don't think so. This is not his style._ Tiana replied as the ship she had been expecting docked. A Scimitar landing craft, sleek and deadly looking. _He might slap you in the face or shoot you. But_ **only** _in the face. He won't stab you in the back unless you deserve it or earn his ire. That said, he is not stupid._

 _He wouldn't have lived as long as he has if he were stupid._ Heron replied. _I... Be careful sister. We are trying to limit the flow. But this will hurt you._

 _This needs to be done._ Tiana did not move as half a dozen forms stepped out of the landing craft one by one. Five were human. One was _not_. All were heavily armed. They stepped forward, but stopped as Tiana raised _her_ weapon. At this range, the Vaykor Hek's pellets would likely hit everyone in the group, especially as well as she had modded it. "That is far enough." She called. "You are not welcome here, Rising."

"You cannot stop us." Viveka snarled as she raised her own weapon. A Penta grenade launcher.

"No." Tiana agreed calmly. "But I _can_ slow you down." _Owl. Now._

Tiana couldn't help it. She gasped as an alien mind invaded hers. But it was gentle, soothing energy seeping across her burning synapses as she slumped to her knees. Viveka stared at her as Owl's form appeared over her and then the Ivara was screaming curses that cut off abruptly as the energy from Owl's chosen Zenurik school washed over them. Tiana's mind was idly curious as each and every one of the fanatics suddenly rose from the ground, suspended in midair by Void energy. Helpless. All of them. She gasped again as Owl's mind left hers. It hurt as she rose to her feet.

 _Heron._ Tiana gasped. _Hurry._ She begged.

 _This is hurting you!_ Heron protested. _We are not worth that!_

 _Yes, you are._ Tiana retorted. _Do it._ Her gasp this time was a choked off scream as the pain doubled and then redoubled. She fell to her knees again and this time, Heron's form appeared over her. She could feel him trying to ease her pain and she snarled at him. _Do it!_

 _Falcon!_ Heron begged as energy played from his spectral body, washing over each and every one of the fanatics. Viveka jerked in her prison and fell to the floor, her posture shocked as each and every one of her fellows suddenly was limned by golden energy. Heron's mind vanished from Tiana's and she rose, cursing her trembling limbs.

"You have a problem, Tenno Viveka." Tiana said coldly. "When they are freed, they will turn on each other." Viveka stared at her. "And on you."

" _What have you done, you monster?_ " Viveka screamed, her Penta coming up to aim.

"I asked a friend to show them themselves." Tiana said with a sigh. She couldn't raise her weapon. It was too heavy. "Too bad if they can't handle such truths. You have a choice, Tenno Viveka. Gun them and me down here and now and show _everyone_ your true colors. Or go away and let the _adults_ talk. We _are_ talking, not that you would care about such when you can _kill people._ "

"You know nothing!" Viveka snarled and her grenade launcher burped. Tiana felt fear as the miniature explosive landed at her feet. It rolled to tap her foot and... did nothing. "What?" Viveka stared at the grenade and then at her launcher. "What have you _done_?"

"Me?" Tiana asked with a cold smile. "Nothing. _You_ just broke the peace here." Viveka recoiled as dozen form suddenly appeared around Tiana. Tenno in warframes. One kicked the inert Penta grenade away from Tiana's foot. _All_ had weapons in hand and aimed. "We do not _want_ to fight you, Tenno Viveka." Tiana said with a grunt. "But we _will_."

"You are a fool and a traitor to our kind!" Viveka snapped.

"I have been foolish on occasion." Tiana replied. "But _I_ am not betraying our kin or the Code. _You_ are. Go ahead, fanatic." She managed to aim her shotgun now. "We will mourn you."

All five of Viveka's compatriots fell to the floor and got up, groaning. They all froze in shock, seeing the Tenno aiming at them. They looked at each other and then at Viveka who snarled. They started cycling back into the ship.

"This isn't over." Viveka's voice was low and full of malice. Or madness. Hard to say.

"Never thought it was." Tiana replied offhand as the last human entered and Viveka made her way towards the ship. "But beware, sister. The way you are walking only ends in madness."

"Fuck off!" Viveka snarled as she stepped into the ship.

Tiana slumped a bit as the ship undocked. Then she jumped as the Penta grenade exploded where it pay. Shrapnel flew everywhere, pinging off the warframes that surrounded her now.

"What was _that_ all about?" A Tenno in a brown Excalibur warframe asked.

"You all heard about what happened on the Moon." Tiana's words were not a question but several nodded. "I was there. So was she. We found an ancient Tenno secret. It was...not what we expected."

"Is it _ever_ what we expect?" A purple Saryn asked snidely. Tiana shook her head ruefully. "So why is the Rising showing up here? They kill humans, Grineer and Corpus."

"She is one of them." Tiana said sadly. More than one of the surrounding Tenno inhaled in shock and worry. "She thinks I am being corrupted, so I cannot be trusted at all." She shook her head. "I have had intelligence _and_ my clan vet me. If I am being corrupted, then they can't find it."

"You could be anyway." This from a green painted Trinity who sounded worried. For Tiana?

"Yeah, I could be." Tiana slumped a bit.

"She isn't." All eyes turned to... Tiana was hardly the only one to freeze as all four Voices strode onto the walkway, followed by a host of holographic forms in chairs. The Voice spoke again. "Tell me, Tenno. If she was corrupted, if she was _truly_ seeking power, why did she not kill the humans? Why not fight the Ivara?"

"Some kind of sneaky plan." A grey Loki replied.

"I am too _tired_ to be sneaky, brother." Tiana groused and more than one of the surrounding Tenno chuckled at her tone. "And... I hurt."

 _Sister._ Several Tenno flinched back as Falcon slid forward, her holographic face fearful. _You held too much._ _Let me help._ Tiana nodded and then she slumped to the ground again. This time though, the power eased through her, soothing her jangling nerves and relaxing her taut muscles. _There. That will take care of it for now. You may need more care though._

"What is that?" The Trinity asked, awe in her tone. "That is Void energy modulated to heal. But so _much_ of it." Tiana felt much better when Falcon released her with a final mental hug of sorts.

"My kin...?" Tiana said formally as Falcon's holo returned to where it had been. "I would like you to meet some people. People who know firsthand the horrors of what the Orokin did. People who were hidden on the Moon for their own safety until Stalker and the Sentients discovered their hiding place." She stepped to stand between the still warframes and the holos with their Voice escorts. "Viveka sees weapons or puppet masters. But I have touched their minds and I can tell you that there is _nothing_ that repulses them more than the thought of enslaving someone. They _were_ slaves. All of them."

"Who are you?" The Excalibur who had spoken first asked the holos. Heron slid his holo forward and nodded to the Tenno.

 _We are the survivors of the Zarimon Void Jump accident, Tenno._ Heron said sadly. More than one of the Tenno in the group gasped at that. _The Orokin called me Ten Zero Fourteen. Our mothers called me Heron._

"Your... 'mothers'?" The Trinity asked carefully.

 _The first kindness that we ever encountered in our remembered lives was a human named Margulis._ Heron said sadly. _We were found on the ship after it was recovered. No one knew how we had survived. None of us were old enough to understand. To remember. We were a mess. We hurt one who tried to help us. We did not understand why we were being hurt, experimented on. We lashed out like animals, hurt many people. It took the love of Margulis to get us past our fear and the Orokin killed her for it. She was our mother and they killed her._

None of the Tenno in the group had as much as moved. Now the Loki stepped forward, his posture wary.

"If you have this much power..." The Loki asked. "Why not use it?"

 _Because our_ **second** _mother was and_ **is** _far wiser than we will_ **ever** _be._ Owl replied for the group. _You call her Lotus._ A stillness swept the landing area at that. All four Voices seemed to stiffen in place. _She is far from perfect, but she is our mother. She freed us from slavery and cared for us until we could grow into our power. But now? We are discovered and none of us are physically capable of defending ourselves._

"And you are here, now... because...?" The Saryn asked.

 _Because we want to be what we believed we were for so long._ Heron replied. _Tenno. But to do_ **that** _, we need to take the Trial._

"Oh _boy_..."

* * *

 **Several minutes later**

 _Tiana, please sit down._ Falcon was being a pest.

"Falcon, I am fine." Tiana protested as she stood back in the room they had started in. They had two more people though. Two Tenno, the Excalibur -whose name was Derek-, and the Trinity -whose name was Ellen- had asked to join the discussion and after a bit of debate, the Voices had agreed. Heron and the other kids seemed happy to meet new people. Tiana wondered how long that would last.

 _You had_ **three** _different sources of powerful Void energy flowing through you._ Falcon retorted. _Until I see you fully scanned, I am not going to assume you are fine._

"Don't sister." The Trinity Ellen warned Tiana as she started to reply. "Falcon here has the soul of a Healer. They do not like being crossed." Elle laughed at Tiana's rude gesture. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"This needs to be done and I swore to stand for them." Tiana replied.

"I understand." Ellen said with a sigh. "But _killing_ yourself won't help them."

Tiana stared at the Trinity and then slumped a bit. She looked at the Voices who seemed to be fighting mirth. Hard to tell, but all seemed to be quivering slightly. She sat.

"There. Happy?" Tiana declared. Falcon just looked at her, hurt in girl's eyes. "Ah, dang... I am sorry Falcon. I am just... out of sorts."

 _You have a right to it._ Falcon said softly. _But Tiana, one of us. Only_ **one** _. You cannot channel more than one of us. Even for_ **moments** _. I do not know what it would do to you and I do_ **not** _want to find out. Your body is different from ours. Yours was made for you to inhabit._

"And it has been destroyed once already." Tiana said with a shiver of memory. "Not something I want to go through again." Ellen patted Tiana's shoulder and sat beside her. "Part of me expected you to freak. _I_ sure did the first time it happened to me."

"It _is_ a bit scary." Ellen replied. "But my curiosity is overwhelming my fear." She shook her head. "The best way to face a fear is to face it. Falcon?"

 _I..._ Falcon looked at the Voices who shrugged in unison. She looked at Tiana and Rikel who also shrugged. _Are you sure?_

"No." Ellen said simply. "But I _am_ curious." She smiled at Falcon and then she gasped. "I... Oh. _Oh._ " Her voice suddenly held tears as Falcon started to cry. "Don't cry, Falcon. It's okay." She looked at Tiana and nodded. "This will not be easy. But... Oh, the _benefits_."

"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy." Tiana quipped and Ellen barked a laugh.

"And Tenno _live_ for complicated jobs."


	9. Chapter 9

**Hurts**

"I am all right." Tiana was not happy about this at all. "Heron, sheesh. I am _all right!_ "

 _Let the Healer be the judge of that._ Her friend/partner's voice was sour. _You scared me. Badly._

Tiana sighed and tried to relax on the exam table as Iriana's scanners whirred around her. She had been determined to stay and do whatever was needed to facilitate the discussions between the kids and Amelia's Voices. But then she had blanked out for a moment and when she had come to, _everyone_ had been upset. Ellen and Falcon in particular had been vocal about Tiana's need for a professional check up. Then Heron had started nagging her. There really wasn't any other word for it. And she couldn't shut his voice out no matter how hard she tried.

She had managed to make it to Iriana's hospital under her own power and hadn't had any problems except fatigue. It didn't help that Ellen had come with her and before Tiana had even managed to utter a word, had declared Tiana 'hurt'. Tiana hadn't wanted to argue and that left her _here_. Clad in a patient gown and being scanned thoroughly. At least Ellen had also sworn to sponsor the kids. Derek -another Tenno- had done the same so they were not undefended. But still...

"I swear, you guys nag like nobody's business." Tiana groused as she tried to find a comfortable position on the rock hard table.

 _Only when people we care for scare us._ Heron's rejoinder was calm. _You held too much. There are_ **going** _to be effects. I just hope the Healer can help._

"Tiana." Iriana's voice was cool from an intercom. "Try to relax if you can. You are going to be there for a bit."

"Yes, Healer." Tiana said with a sigh. She jerked as something hurt, but she ignored it.

"Are you in pain?" Iriana's voice held a tinge of worry now. Tiana did not reply and now, Iriana sighed. "Tiana, please."

"Healer, I am lying on a _table_." Tiana said with a grunt. "It is not exactly comfortable. Why couldn't I do this in a _bed_?"

"Because that scanner is built into the room." Iriana replied, her tone moderating. "I know this is a mess. And I haven't been helping. But... You show the effects of Void exposure, Tiana."

"Yeah." Tiana said softly.

"What happened?" Iriana asked. Tiana slumped a bit and Iriana pressed. "Tiana, please? What happened?"

"Viveka and her friends wanted to crash the meeting between the kids and the Amelia's Voices." Tiana said in a monotone. "I don't know if they were going to attack the Voices or what. I had to stop them. I did. End of story."

"Attack Amelia's _Voices_?" Iriana asked, incredulous. " _Why?_ "

"Because the Voices are trying to help the kids and they won't fight back." Tiana said sadly. "Well, _most_ of them won't. I bet _Lis_ would." She chuckled sourly and Iriana did the same. "Anyway, I didn't want to fight them. So, I disabled them. I asked the kids for help, they gave it. I channeled some of their power and it hurt."

"Aw geez... Tiana!" Iriana sounded abject now. "That explains these readings. How many of them?"

"Three." Tiana said with a grunt as she shifted a bit and more pain came.

 _Tell her where it hurts._ Heron pressed her Tiana ignored him. _Tell her where it hurts, Tiana. She can help and she wants to help. Please, sister._

" _Three_?" Iriana sounded stunned now. "You _crazy_ girl!"

"Not all at once." Tiana scowled as her head hurt, but it faded. "One at a time."

"Tiana, that doesn't _matter_." The Healer said firmly. "Void energy takes time to bleed out of flesh. I am assuming you didn't give it time."

"The third one healed me." Tiana smiled in memory. Falcon and Ellen were a good match.

"Using _Void energy_." Iriana was muttering things that sounded rude now. "That is the only reason you are conscious but you are _seriously_ overexposed." She sighed. "Heron, if you are listening, please back off. She cannot take but so much energy at a time, even in a warframe. Any more might kill her." A gasp echoed in Tiana's mind and then she felt an absence.

"Heron! No!" Tiana cried out, trying to rise. But she couldn't. "What the-?"

"Tiana. Lie back down." Iriana's voice was cool and professional now. "I cannot use energy to help you, not as exposed as you are. So..." An armature extended from a wall nearby and Tiana cried out as she saw a spray hypo on the end of it. "Something for the pain and to help you sleep. You need rest now. Time for the energy to bleed off. The sedative is set for you and it is gentle, Tiana. Please."

"No!" Tiana growled. "I need to help the kids!" She managed to sit up, but her head swam and she slumped back to the table. "I..."

 _Let me, Healer._ A familiar voice sounded in Tiana's head. The Lotus was _**not**_ happy. _Tenno Tiana,_ **they** _do not need help at the moment. You_ **do** _. Heron is crying, He didn't know what it would do to you and the last thing any of them wanted to do was hurt you. We... haven't told Falcon yet. She won't take it well._

"I am all right!" Tiana protested. "Just weak!"

 _Tenno Tiana._ The Lotus sounded stern now. _Radiation has strange effects on warframes at the best of times._ **Void** _radiation has strange effects_ **period** _. We do not know all of the consequences of what you did. Do I need to get your clan leader here to slap sense into you?_

"I..." Tiana swallowed. Just the thought of how Karl would react if she died after losing both Serene and Amelia was mind numbing. She slumped back to the table. When she spoke again, her voice was small. "No."

 _What you did was incredibly brave._ The Lotus said gently. _But it was_ **also** _incredibly foolish. The kids cannot control all of their power. Maybe a Trial is what they need to find the key to controlling it all. I did not know what was entailed. Tenno never spoke of it after. At least... not until long after I hid the kids in the Second Dream._

"They are good kids." Tiana said weakly as the appendage came close. It hissed and she felt lassitude sweep through her. She felt her eyes start to close as she sank back to the table. "Lotus... tell Heron I am okay. Tell the others... I will be okay. Please?"

 _I will. Rest well._

Was it her imagination that a gentle hand brushed her cheek? It had to be. She was so tired, she couldn't open her eyes to check and now, she was spinning, falling. She was...

* * *

 **Four hours later**

"You asked to see me?" Karl stood stiffly in Iriana's office in the refurbished Orokin Tower and shook his head as he watched a monitor. He saw Tiana sleeping in a sterile room. He stiffened. Tiana didn't look good. "I heard she was hurt. How bad?"

"Not as bad as it could have been." Iriana said with a sigh as she sat at her desk. The chair groaned under her as she flopped into it. Karl looked at her and his worry was clear even through his closed faceplate. Iriana gave him a tired smile. "I am off shift and heading for bed as soon as I finish talking to you."

"Good." Karl said with feeling. "You still push yourself too hard."

"Each of us serves in our own way, Karl." Iriana said mildly. "I could say the same about _you_."

"I have a warframe, Iriana." Karl had a frown in his voice now. "I know my limits."

"And I know _mine_." The Healer smiled a bit forlornly. "I was pushing myself too hard, but I have pulled back. My staff won't let me work myself to death."

"Good." Karl nodded to her. "So... Tiana?"

"She channeled power from three of the kids to stop the Rising from disrupting the meeting between the kids and..." She bowed her head. "...Amelia's Voices."

"I miss her too." Karl said sadly. "Her _and_ Serene. But we have to go on. Neither would want us to mope."

"No, they wouldn't." Iriana agreed. "Anyway. Tiana." She started tapping keys. "Her warframe healed her as best it could, but there are always limits." Karl nodded. "One of the kids channeled healing energy through her or it would be far worse than it is. There is no physical damage now. But the energy coursing through her left residue."

"Void energy." Karl inhaled and Iriana nodded. "I see."

"She will need time and rest to let the energy bleed off." The healer said with a sigh. "And she cannot stay here to do it. She needs to be moved somewhere that she won't be surrounded by Void energy."

"Just about anywhere she could go, she _would_ be exposed." Karl mused. "If not directly, then the shielding. You cannot shield her?"

"I can and I am." Iriana said with a sigh. "But, again. There are limits. It will take at least twenty four hours for the energy to bleed off. And at least another twenty four for it to be safe for her to don her warframe. I can keep her sedated that long. She doesn't _want_ to be awake for the flushing anyway."

" _Flushing?_ " Karl asked dubiously. Then he raised both hands as Iriana opened her mouth. "No! I do _not_ want to know!" The Healer grinned.

"Wise. It is fairly disgusting." Iriana gave a great sigh. "Your dojo has Void shields, yes?"

"It does." Karl agreed. "Most do unless they are very small or hidden in some other way. A colony?"

"That may be our best bet." Iriana replied. "Mavri has recovered." She shook her head. "I swear, that old geezer must have nine lives like an old Earth cat. I wonder how many he has used up."

"You know it is bad when Nikis himself takes an interest." Karl said flatly "And-"

He didn't know what warned him. He just reacted. He had a bare moment to do what had to be done. To throw himself at Iriana and curl into a ball around the Healer as the world turned bright.

* * *

 **Elsewhere in the Tower**

"What the _hell_?"

Commander Horatius wasn't supposed to be at the tower. Corpus Special Forces _were_ covert operatives for the Lotus, but they were _not_ trusted. Problem was, one of his operations had soured and two of his people had been very badly hurt. Too badly hurt for field medicine or to survive the trip back to Corpus territory. He hadn't liked transiting here, but the staff hadn't complained. One hadn't survived the transit to the tower, but he had been reassured that her 'energy was recoverable', whatever that meant. The other was recovering quickly and Horatius had resigned himself to wait.

But then all hell had broken loose. The entire _tower_ had rocked. He had never felt _that_ before in an Orokin tower. He had felt localized vibrations, sure. But not on such a scale. He knew what had caused it however. An explosion. A _big_ one. He had been using explosives and been around explosions for a long, long time. It was part of his job and he was good at his job.

-Alert!- The voice of the Tower system sent a pang through him. It wasn't -quite- the voice of a young woman he had sort of known. But it was close enough to hurt. -Structural damage sustained. All personnel, report to survival stations! This is not a drill!-

Horatius had to admire the skill and training of the staff. In moments, what had been a bustling emergency department was cleared, patients being bundled away. Some would go to survival shelters. Others to stasis pods, depending on level of injury. But he was the odd man out. Typical.

"Tower Systems!" Horatius called. "Susan! Status?"

-Commander Horatius.- Was it his imagination that the Tower's voice sounded warmer? -Please proceed to a survival shelter. Internal structure may be compromised.-

"That wasn't an _external_ explosion." Horatius really hated where this line of thought was taking him. "That was _internal_! Where? Are the reactors damaged?"

A good question. If the reactors _failed_ , the Tower would become either a pint sized supernova or a pint sized _black hole_ depending on _how_ they failed.

-Negative damage to reactor spaces.- The Tower reassured him. -Explosion was centered in corridor Fifteen Aleph, quadrant sixteen.- Horatius felt fear start to blossom. He knew that location. That was... Iriana's _office!_

" _IRIANA!_ " Horatius screamed as he started running. Then he did something he had never done. He screamed in his mind. _DAD!_

 _What the-?_ A familiar irate voice sounded in Horatius's mind. Nikis sounded... amused? _Do you have_ **any** _idea how many rules you just_ **broke** _, boy?_

The whole story as to how the Corpus Special Forces commander was _related_ to a Grandmaster Tenno was a long and convoluted one. They didn't talk much and Horatius was glad of that. Even after all of the revelations, Tenno _still_ gave him the creeps.

 _INTERNAL EXPLOSION IN IRIANA'S_ **TOWER** _!_ Horatius was in no mood to quibble. The sudden silence in his mind was deafening. _Near her_ **office** _!_

 _On my way._ The fires of hell might have gone out from fear of the Nekros' cold tone.

The soldier ran through the golden corridors. He barely noticed drones moving about, a few of them pacing him. He ignored them. He could smell smoke now. He slapped a control and his helmet sealed. He did _not_ draw any of his weapons. He was a guest here and not entirely trusted. He came to the edge of the blast radius and scowled under his helmet. The pattern was familiar. He shook his head. If anything happened to Iriana, all hell would break loose. Literally. Nikis liked her and the old coot didn't like many people.

He went still as he heard crying. It was Iriana!

"Iriana!" Horatius screamed as he shouldered his way through the wreckage of what had been a beautiful golden facility. "Where are you?"

"Here." Iriana's voice was firm, but... Something was wrong. Something in her voice... "Help... Please..."

A large fallen support beam blocked Horatius' way and he snarled as he slammed into it, trying with all his might and augmented strength to move it. The he jumped a pair of black armored hands joined his and Nikis helped him shove it out of the way. The Nekros did not speak and both strode forward into horror. Both froze at what greeted them. The room was a shambles. Iriana looked up and her eyes were clear. The leg of her bodysuit was blacked and burnt, but that was the only thing that seemed wrong with her.

With _her_.

Nikis fell to his knees beside the broken Rhino warframe and his hands were gentle as he touched the piece of metal that had impaled it to the floor. The flying beam had missed Iriana by less than a meter, but it had gone clean through the Rhino's helmet, who hadn't had his defenses active in the hospital. No Iron Skin. No shields. No need for such here. Horatius has seen Tenno survive even such horrible wounds, but...

"Iriana?" Horatius went to his knees beside the stricken healer. A fast scan showed second and third degree burns on her leg, but no other injuries. She was in shock and he started first aid. No soldier with any common sense at all went anywhere without at least basic kit and Horatius' aid kit was far from 'basic'.

"He... he just..." Iriana was crying now. "There was something more in the blast, Horatius. It felt... wrong." Horatius stilled as Nikis knelt by the hurt Healer. "Nikis?"

"Whoever set that wanted to kill a Tenno." Nikis' voice was calm. But... No. No it wasn't. "Physical blasts won't. But the energy disruption encased in it did. He is gone, Iriana. Nothing I can do."

" _NO!_ " Iriana screamed, trying to rise and falling as Horatius and Nikis both held her down. " _KARL! NO!_ "

"Iriana, I may be able to do something." Nikis said slowly. "But not here. Not now. Not with the residue of the disruptor all over everything, including you."

"Nikis... please!" Iriana begged as Horatius laid her leg out straight and started working on it again.

"I will do whatever I can." Nikis promised her as he held her gently. She hissed as Horatius worked, but did not move otherwise. "You got my word on that. By Blood and by Steel... I will do whatever I can."

"Was it for me?" Iriana asked. "I would have been alone here."

"I don't know." Nikis said softly as he stroked her hair gently. "We will find out."

Drones and paramedics crowded in. Horatius made way for the professionals and after a moment, Nikis did the same. Horatius stared at the blast patterns and then at Nikis who nodded. The patterns were clear to anyone with training. The bomb had been right outside Iriana's door.

"It was for her." Nikis said softly enough that Horatius was likely the only one to hear it. "They missed her and got Karl instead." Horatius nodded. The soldier jumped as Nikis slammed his fist into the wall hard enough to make hole in the _metal_ and _screamed_. "SON OF A _**BITCH**_ _!_ "

"Who?" Horatius felt rage start to bloom. He liked Iriana. Most of the people he knew who dealt with her liked her. She wasn't always easy to handle, but she was good at what she did. "Who could set a trap designed... to kill... _Tenno_..." He trailed off. "No."

"Another Tenno." Nikis growled. "And I have my suspicions as to _who_. Gonna _enjoy_ the asking." Something in his tone said that no one else would. "But... leaves a problem. Iriana is vulnerable and I bet this was aimed at another who is also vulnerable. Need a place for them to lie low. Away from Tenno." Horatius nodded.

"The _other_ look human?" The soldier asked. Nikis nodded and Horatius smiled. It was _not_ a nice smile.

"I know _just_ the place."


	10. Chapter 10

**White Hot but Cold**

A Corpus Clergy breeding colony

Commander Horatius had gone into a number of really bad and screwed up situations in his time with the Corpus Special Forces. He had been shot up, shot down and just plain shot. He had been blown up, cut up and generally _hurt_ in all kinds of ways since he had first been posted as a Junior Prodman in the rank and file.

For just a moment, he wished he was _back_ at that rank. All you had to worry about at that rank was how to run in and hit things with an electrified stick. Simple. You didn't have to worry about things like budgets, resource allocation and politics. You also didn't have to be the one delegated to give awful news. Rank had it's privileges, sure. But it _also_ had its burdens.

"Commander Horatius to see the Reverend Mother." The soldier said to the guards as he stepped off the portal platform. "Secure information. We will need a shield room."

"You message said it was urgent." The voice had him turning from the guards, who had _not_ lowered their weapons. If they had been so sloppy, he would have beaten them to within an inch of their lives. The Reverend Mother nodded to the guards and they relaxed a little. But their weapons did not go all the way down, Horatius noted with pride. He had trained many of them.

He scrutinized the Reverend Mother, leader and mouthpiece for the Corpus Clergy and she smiled at him. She looked better. Far less exhausted than the last time he had seen her. Then again, the Clergy was up and running. They had all had worked overtime to bring her up to speed after her abrupt transition into her role.

"It is, Reverend Mother." Horatius said quietly. "But... not anywhere unsecure."

Her eyebrows inclined a bit. The Corpus breeding colony that both of them stood in was one of the most secure facilities in the Solar System. Stood to reason, this place created mush of the future of the Corpus. If he wasn't sure about _its_ security... She nodded and jerked her head. Her followed her out of the portal facility and towards an elevator.

"You are a mess." The Clergywoman said, eying him. Horatius grunted and she nodded.

"We are _in_ a mess." Horatius said quietly as the elevator closed. The Reverend Mother keyed her private code and it started down towards her sanctuary. "This is going to hurt you very badly. Do you have anyone on call?" The Reverend Mother stared at him and he grimaced. "You do not want to take this news alone and I cannot... I cannot..."

"Sister Gertrude is available." The Reverend Mother said slowly. "She was working on some spreadsheets for me."

"Get her here." Horatius said firmly as the doors opened and they stepped out.

"Sara?" The Reverend Mother asked, paling.

"Get Gertrude here." Horatius insisted.

"I am here." The large clergywoman said with a scowl as she strode into view. "We rotate people through to help her cope with her workload now that she will let us." She strode to the Reverend Mother's side and nodded. "What happened? You look like you were in an explosion."

" _I_ wasn't." Horatius said quietly. "But it happened while I was there." The Reverend Mother recoiled and Horatius nodded.

"You were at the _Tower_." Now _Sister Gertrude_ paled.

"While I was there, a bomb exploded inside the facility." Horatius said quietly. "I wasn't anywhere near it. I was waiting on Lila and Hoss." He slumped a bit. "There was no warning. No sensors were tripped."

"Iriana?" The Reverend Mother exclaimed. Horatius shook his head swiftly.

"She is alive. She is down with second and third degree burns, but alive. The bomb was intended for her." Horatius said softly. "Planted right outside her office."

"Who the hell would _dare_?" Gertrude demanded and he could almost feel the shock reverberating through the entire Clergy. He wasn't part of their group mind, but he was sensitive to it. "Karl's people are going to-" She broke off as Horatius looked away. "Commander?"

"The bomb was intended to kill a Tenno. Nikis didn't say _what_ it was, just some kind of disruptor. Something keyed to Tenno energy." Horatius nodded as the Reverend Mother paled again. "The only reason it _didn't_ kill Iriana is that there was someone between her and the bomb. Someone who shielded her from it."

"Who?" The Reverend Mother's voice was tiny, scared.

"Karl."

For a long, long moment, the Reverend Mother just stood there, her eyes huge. Then she spun on her heels and ran into another room. Horatius moved to follow, but Gertrude threw up a hand and blocked his way.

"Not yet." Gertrude said firmly. "Let her..." An _loud_ explosion sounded from the next room and Gertrude winced. "Let her work her rage off." Another explosion, and then another. "Good thing we got that room set up in time."

"Is she all right?" Horatius asked carefully as the explosions sounded faster and faster.

"She has blocked us out from her mind, so the answer is 'no'." The large clergywoman said sadly. "First her _sister_ and now the _father_ of her child. Oh, _someone's_ not going to enjoy the rewards of their labors."

"Nikis promised Iriana that he would do whatever he could." Horatius said softly as the explosions continued. "But she is vulnerable. So are Vina, Mercedes and the others."

"Iriana is a Healer," Gertrude said slowly. "None of us would dare to target her. The Grineer might but..." She paused. "Oh no. No. Not going to happen." Horatius shook his head and Gertrude snarled at him. "Do you have _any_ idea the _mess_ that would make?"

"Yes." Horatius said quietly. "Vina and the others are more vulnerable. We have to get them somewhere secure. Iriana is going to be stubborn. She won't leave her patients. Nikis said we should move her while she is unconscious from the burn treatment. But we do not know if she was the only target." He went still with Gertrude as the door the Reverend Mother had dashed through opened and she stepped out. Aside from a hint of soot on her cheek, she looked totally normal.

"You were there, they will blame us." The Clergywoman said firmly. Horatius nodded. "We have to prove we had nothing to do with it. We didn't, did we?" Not an accusation, a fair question.

"It wasn't a Corpus weapon." Horatius said with a grunt. "Nothing in our arsenal could shatter an Orokin Tower corridor so thoroughly and be undetectable long enough to get in place." He should know, he had used most of the Corpus arsenal in his career, including many weapons he had no business having access to.

"That sounds like an Orokin weapon." The Reverend Mother sounded calm, but her eyes. Oh... no, she _wasn't_ calm. "They had assassination down to an art form. They learned not to try it against Tenno though." Both of the others looked at her and she scowled. "Long story. _Messy_ story."

"I bet." Horatius shivered. "The point of a terror attack is to terrorize. Iriana is loved by a whole lot of scary people. My dad included." The Reverend Mother and Gertrude nodded. "This is the kind of thing the Red Veil would do."

"The Red Veil are fanatics, but they are not _stupid_." The Reverend Mother said slowly. "Attacking an Orokin Tower _is_ stupid. The Tenno _will_ respond." She bowed her head. "Karl's clan _will_ respond."

"They...actually are not the ones I am worried about." Horatius said slowly. The Reverend Mother stared at him and he frowned. "Nikis was with me when we found Iriana. And Karl. He was pissed."

"Yeah." The Reverend Mother gave herself a shake. "Okay. Damage control time. Gertrude, see if we can set up some housing. Vina and Mercedes cannot come back."

"Vina is officially dead and Mercedes is wanted so they can dissect her. Let alone what Bek wants Sheila for. Yuck." Gertrude had a pad in hand now and was typing fast. "We have some unused dormitory space. It won't be secure."

"Oh, yes it _will be_." Horatius said firmly. The two women looked at him and he snarled. "They tried to pin this on us, I bet. There will be more attacks."

"Get to the Relay. Initiate plan 'G'." The Reverend Mother keyed the portal built into one wall of her sanctuary live and Horatius stepped to it. "I... need to make some calls. I..." Horatius reached out to squeeze her shoulder and she covered his hand with his own. "Anything we can do, tell us."

"I will." Horatius said with a grim nod as he stepped into the portal.

* * *

Avalon

"WHAT?"

It wasn't every day that the Empress of the feeble remnants of Orokin felt as if the world had fallen out from underneath her where she sat on her throne. She had power, if not even close to the unlimited power of her ancestors. Which hadn't been close to unlimited no matter what anyone said.

The two Tenno who had begged an audience with her stood before her throne, fully armed. No one was about to question them. Not now.

"We don't know who." Alicia said sadly. "We don't know why or how. All we know is that the bomb contained an Orokin energy disruptor." Eliza slumped back on her throne, stunned out of speech. "It.. it went off outside of Iriana's office in the Tower. Karl was there to talk to her and... It could have been any of us." She broke off.

"Oh my god..." Princess Michelle was shaking her head. "Mother, if it was an _Orokin_ weapon..."

"Right." Eliza snapped. She waved at Michelle who moved to a wall to start talking urgently in a com. "Check the armories. _Physically_ verify the location of _everything_ we have that might do such. I know the arsenals here have a lot of weird stuff." Michelle nodded, but did not turn back. "How is Iriana?"

"From the reports, second and third degree burns on her leg." Alicia said softly. "The disruptor hurt her, but Karl stopped enough of it that it didn't kill her. He wasn't expecting an attack!"

"Not in a hospital, no." Eliza said softly. "Alicia... Who do you think did it?"

"I have no proof, Empress." Alicia said quickly. "But it is the kind of thing the Rising would do. Blatant, loud and viscous. Targeting a healer is just their kind of tactic."

"Are they _really_ that stupid?" Eliza said and then paused and groaned. "Never mind. Fanatics don't care about the consequences as long as they get what they want."

"Oh, they are _about_ to _start_ caring." Will said coldly from where he stood beside Alicia. Eliza looked at the Excalibur Prime and he nodded. "Whoever the hell did this killed our clan leader. And not in battle. The cowards just started a blood feud."

At Will's cold words, _everything_ stopped in the throne room. Michelle stared from the intercom at the pair of warframes. Tenno were weapons. Highly trained, highly disciplined weapons. But as in all things, there were limits. Even to Tenno discipline. There had only been a few recorded instances of a clan actually _declaring_ a blood feud. A situation in which _every_ member of the clan would be hunting the ones they were feuding with. Those few instances were enshrined in the history of the Tenno as warnings. The Purge of Bolgo. The Not-Quite-A-Siege at Julis. The Scouring of Geminanh. All well documented. All _horrific_. Small wonder everyone _sane_ usually went out of the way to avoid such things.

"Whoever did this _thinks_ they know what terror is." Will continued into the silence that had fallen. "They don't have a _clue_. _**Yet**_."

"It could have been someone else." Michelle managed to find her voice as everyone else recoiled from the Excalibur's words. "It could have been the Red Veil. It could have been the Grineer."

"Nikis and Sun have both pledged to help find us the proper target." Will's words were still quiet. "When we _do_ , we _will_ act."

"Nikis and Sun." Eliza swallowed hard.

"Nikis was there when they found Iriana and Karl." Alicia said softly, her voice breaking. "He is _mad_."

"Empress?" An unexpected voice had everyone turning to see a woman in a gown standing at the doorway. Jenni looked terrified. "I just received word from the Clergy. Commander Horatius was there as well. He and they are offering any assistance needed."

"Will, Alicia..." Eliza bowed her head slowly. "We will get your clan a target."

"That is all we ask." Both warframes turned and strode from the room. Eliza put her face in her hand and slumped.

"Nikis and Sun. The Clergy and Corpus Special Forces. A blood feud." Michelle sounded dazed and who could blame her? "Karl... I..." She crumpled a bit. Eliza was out of her throne like a flash holding her daughter as Michelle cried. "He was so kind to me. I was _Infested_ and he was _kind!_ "

"He was the best of Tenno. Honorable to a fault, but not stupid about it." Petra, Michelle's chief guard, spoke up from nearby. "Warrior Tenno do not die in bed. But like _that_?"

"Hell is coming to breakfast." Jenni said weakly.

"Yeah."

* * *

Red Veil HQ

There was no warning at _all_.

The Red Veil were not stupid. Stupid terrorists did not usually live very long. Their HQ was well hidden in the depths of a mountain on an isolated planetoid and very well defended by over hundred well armed and trained soldiers.

None of that mattered.

One moment, all was calm at the entry portal. The next, the calm was shattered by a roar of gunfire. A dark form stepped out of a golden archway that had appeared on one wall, pistols in both hands spitting fire. But... The guards recoiled as their weapons fell apart. Not a single one of the dozen guards present took a hit to their flesh. They stared at the dark form that now resolved into a black armored Nekros who was reloading his Magnus revolvers.

"Do I have your attention?"

The voice... More than one of the guards soiled themselves at the dark and terrifying sounds that came from the Tenno. A few of them recognized the voice and soiled themselves _again_. They had been here the _last_ time Grandmaster Nikis had 'dropped by'.

"What the hell?" The voice of one of the Red Veil commanders came over a hidden speaker and Nikis turned to it. "What is it _this_ time?" The female snapped.

"I came for a straight answer and you better give me one." Nikis voice was calm even as more troops poured into the room, these heavily armed. "No one is dead. Yet." His pistols went back to his sides and he drew a Boltor rifle. "Tell me what I want to know and let me corroborate it and I am gone. I won't even leave any Kubrow crap this time."

"It took us a _week_ to clean that out of the base! A _month_ to get rid of the _stench!_ " The female nearly screamed. "What the hell do you want?"

"Simple question." Nikis replied. "Did you or did you not plant a bomb in Iriana's hospital?"

"What?" The voice from the intercom sounded stunned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The hospital that the Tenno healer named Iriana was running at the Orokin Tower." Nikis clarified. "I know you have heard of it. I know some of your people have been treated there. Did you plant a bomb there?"

"Why?" The female asked, sudden worry surfacing.

" _I_ am asking the questions." Nikis replied evenly. "I am not angry right now. You don't want me angry. If you did, say so and I will leave. Then you get to explain why to _other_ people. If you didn't, say so and I will leave after I corroborate that." More than one of the guards shifted uneasily. Nikis might have been carved from stone.

"You think I am going to betray the organization to you?" The female laughed scornfully. "You may be scary, but you are one Tenno and Tenno _can_ be killed." Nikis did not reply and she laughed again. "Nothing to say, scary man?"

"Out of respect for someone that I deemed worthy of respect, I tried to do this the easy way." Nikis said softly. He did _not_ raise his weapon. "You make your choice, darling. Go right ahead. I promise. _You_ won't die. Not for a long, _long_ time."

"Shoot -" The female started to say, but it choked off as Nikis raised both hands to shoulder height, palms outstretched. Power arched from his hands in orange streams. Around and around the power flowed, arcing up from the floor and forming things as they arched. Forming... humanoid shapes that suddenly took form. Tenno. In warframes. _Dozens_ of them!

"Iriana wouldn't like a complete slaughter." Nikis said as half a hundred holographic Tenno drew weapons around him. "Leave... five of them alive. And the leader we give to Sun. Don't let them wipe the computers or blow the base."

"Five huh? Hale?" A Mag Prime -No! MAG! _The First Mag_!- asked with glee as she drew a pair of Fang Prime daggers.

"Knock yourself out, Mag." Nikis had a feral smile in his voice as the holographic Tenno eyed the Red Veil soldiers who shifted uncomfortably. Hard to blame them.

"You are bluffing!" The Red Veil commander sounded unsure though.

" _Is_ he?" A man wearing something that was not quite a warframe stood up to where Nikis stood, a Glaive held negligently in hand. "You don't know much about Nikis, do you?"

"Don't start telling stories, Hayden." Nikis retorted. "I might tell some of yours. Like the statue?"

"You _had_ to bring that up." The First Tenno said sourly. "I still wish I had managed to blow that blasted thing to smithereens. But you all convinced me it wouldn't do great things for my reputation."

"Ain't reputations _fun_?" Nikis asked the shade of his first teacher in the ways of the Tenno and Hayden scoffed. Now his Boltor came up and aimed at the closest guard whose posture said he wanted to be _anywhere_ but where he was. "You know... Iriana would want me to try to be nice..." He shook his head.

"Nah."

He opened fire and the holographic _army_ of Tenno at his side did likewise.


	11. Chapter 11

**Unconventional**

Tiana woke up slowly. She was fuzzy. Everything was soft and fuzzy. But she wasn't where she had been. Whatever she was lying on was softer for one thing and she was warm. She hadn't been able to get warm in a patient gown.

"She is waking." A calm female voice sounded nearby. "Janna H-15, get the soup and take your time."

"Yes, Lady Katerina." A younger female voice replied. A sound came to Tiana's ears. Something she couldn't identify.

"That was a door." The first voice said quietly. "Ancient tech. Actually, _no_ tech at _all_." She chuckled without mirth. "Good morning, Tiana. How do you feel?"

"I..." Tiana stiffened. She couldn't see! She tried to move and her limbs did, but slowly. So slowly. "Wha-?"

"You are recovering from a bad case of radiation poisoning." The one called Katerina said gently. "You cannot see because the healers who tended you blocked your optic nerves and covered your eyes. Soft tissue is far more vulnerable to damage from such energy. Any damage you took was repaired before you got here, but we figure better safe than sorry. You don't need eyes though."

Something touched Tiana. No... it wasn't a _physical_ touch! The world fell away.

* * *

A virtual world

"What the heck?" Tiana asked as she arrived in a virtual world that was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The room was large and each wall was covered with odd windows. She recognized them from descriptions as 'stained glass' windows. She wore Tenno robes.

"Please watch the language." Katerina's voice was kind as a human form appeared nearby. She wore an odd gown that looked religious in nature. She smiled at Tiana. "I know you are very confused. You were in the Tower."

"Are you... Tenno?" Tiana asked, concerned. Katerina nodded. "I don't know you."

"I am energy form and trapped in a specific location." Katerina said with a frown. Tiana tensed, but the other shook her head quickly. "No, no. It was mostly by my own choice. Although Nikis letting everyone know I was here didn't help matters."

"Wait a minute." Tiana inhaled as memory came flooding in. " _Katerina_? _**Banshee**_ _?_ " That had been a hell of a revelation, the fate of the original Banshee.

"I _was_ Banshee, once." Katerina said with a sigh. "Now I am just Katerina. I still honor the Code, but I am a lot less than I was." She shrugged. "As Nikis' punishments _go_ , this one is fairly lenient."

"I bet." Tiana said weakly. It wasn't every day one met a legend in the not so corporeal flesh. "Wait. You were..." She froze. "Where am I?"

"Neptune. You are a guest of the Clergy." Katerina said formally. "They have pledged to see to your safety and security while you recover." Tiana stared at the Tenno shade and Katerina sighed again. She waved and a sofa appeared nearby. She sat on it and nodded to Tiana. "Would you like to sit? This is... a heck of an explanation. Most of it bad."

"I was at the Tower." Tiana said slowly. "The kids didn't mean to hurt me."

"No." Katerina said gently. "They didn't." Tiana stared at her and Katerina smiled. "I do try to keep up with our kin these days. Well done, sister Tiana. The Voices are helping the kids adapt. It will not be easy or quick, but I believe they have a far better chance now than they did. They will need some extra assistance. Since none of them can physically handle the stresses of a Trial, there will be some concessions made, but I believe their chances are better than fair."

"Why am I here?" Tiana asked flatly.

"Because someone tried to kill Healer Iriana." Katerina said softly. The standing Tenno froze and the sitting one bowed her head. "They missed. Barely. The only reason their bomb did not succeed was that another Tenno shielded Iriana from the energy disruptor that was intended to destroy her inner energy utterly, leaving nothing to save. He did not survive it."

"Do we know _why_ they targeted her?" Tiana asked, her tone hushed. Katerina shook her head. "So... what?"

"The weapon that was used was apparently an ancient Orokin tool of assassination." The shade said softly. "I don't remember a lot about them, but what I do remember is awful." The shade looked away. "Iriana... is not doing well. She was aware when the disruptor killed the one who saved her. She says she heard him scream. I don't know." The shade shook her head. "She isn't coherent at the moment and no one blames her. Every time she wakes, she starts screaming."

"Who?" Tiana asked softly. Katerina looked at her and Tiana met the shade's eyes. "Who saved Iriana?"

"Your clan leader." The shade said simply.

For a moment, the words did not register. Then they did not make sense to Tiana.

"That is not possible." Tiana said firmly. "Karl is the strongest Tenno I know, mentally or physically. There is no _way_..." She broke off as Katerina held out a hand to her. "What?"

"He didn't have any of his defenses activated in the hospital. Commander Horatius of the Corpus Special Forces was one of the first on scene, sister. Grandmaster Nikis went when the Commander called the alarm." Katerina's eyes were glistening as she held out her hand to the frozen Tenno. "It is corroborated."

"No." Tiana said weakly. "That... That isn't possible." She did not resist as Katerina grasped her hand and pulled her down to sit on the sofa beside the shade. Normal rules did not apply in a virtual world. "He... I..."

"Come here." Katerina pulled Tiana into a hug as the younger Tenno's eyes started to burn. Then Tiana was sobbing. "Death is a part of life, sister. Everything mortal will die. It is pretty much the definition of 'mortal'. We are all lessened by the loss of a brother. But that is not the worst part." Tiana stiffened in Katerina's embrace and Katerina gave her a squeeze. "There were people -many people- who declared grudges against Iriana."

"Because of Mishka's dad." Tiana mused. Katerina nodded and Tiana scowled. "So... one of them tried to kill Iriana and killed Karl instead."

"So we believe." Katerina said with a scowl of her own. "If they had succeeded, almost every _other_ Tenno would be looking for them right now. But what is coming is going to be bad enough."

"The clan will respond." Tiana said flatly. Katerina nodded. "They will need me."

"Sister, you need to finish your treatments." Katerina's tone was calm, but unyielding. "The radiation has mostly been flushed from your system, but you need time to recover."

"My clan needs me." Tiana snapped, slipping out of Katerina's embrace and standing. "Send me back."

"Not yet." Katerina said softly. "There is... one other thing. Iriana needs help."

"We will get her to..." Tiana broke off and scowled at Katerina who slumped a bit.

"I know about the Caretakers and yes, they have offered." Katerina said softly. "Elenia and Jasmina like Iriana and of course Mishka is her daughter." Something in her tone...

"But...?" Tiana prodded.

"But we can't send her there." Another voice spoke up and Tiana recoiled as a female human wearing a white gown appeared in the virtual room. The human wore a headdress that covered her head down to her mouth, which was set in a grim line. "Hello Tiana."

"Oracle Janet." Tiana said slowly, stepping away from both of the others. "My clan needs me."

"I...regret not being able to warn Karl." Janet said slowly. "But..."

"Leave me _out_ of your machinations!" Tiana snapped. "I don't _care_ if you can't help. I will avenge Karl is it is the last thing I do!" She started to focus herself. Exiting a virtual world was not easy without permission, but it was possible.

"You leave now and it will be." Janet replied calmly. Tiana froze and the Oracle nodded. "The last thing you do that is. What is worse? You will kill the _wrong_ target."

"And of course, you cannot tell me what the _right_ target is." Tiana retorted. Janet shook her head. "Of course not. Bye."

"It wasn't the Rising!" Janet snapped as Tiana finalized the connection. "Or the Red Veil." Tiana froze, her final connection halfway completed. "Nikis and the others think it was a terrorist attack. It _wasn't_."

"But you cannot tell me what it was." Not a question.

"I want to." Janet said sadly. "I so want to but if I do, thing will get far worse. Tiana, please. Iriana is going to _break_. She cannot _handle_ what happened. She saw it. She _felt_ it happen." Tiana winced and Janet pressed her advantage. "I love her too. She was kind to me when she didn't need to be. She helped Jesse too." She was shaking her head now. "And all I could do was watch it happen. I _cannot_ interfere."

"How did they do it?" Tiana demanded.

"The bomb was implanted in a human." Janet said softly. "I backtracked from the explosion after it happened. He was acting normally and none of the sensors picked up a thing. According to the records, he was visiting a relative who was undergoing treatment down the hall from Iriana's office. Instead of going to that room, he walked to Iriana's office, laid his hand against the door and exploded. He never spoke, but in my vision, I could see his eyes. He was aware of what was happening and it wasn't _him_ in control."

"Oh shit." Tiana said in an undertone.

"Yeah." Janet said softly. "I have spent the time since then trying to figure out what is going on and why. The only way to solve this without a lot of bloodshed..." She paused. "More bloodshed. Nikis went to the Red Veil HQ asking about the bomb. They...resisted."

"What are they? _Nuts_?" Katerina and Tiana both exclaimed as one. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"Yeah. They are. But they learned. He didn't kill them all." Janet said with a sigh. "They started surrendering after he slaughtered twenty of them." She shook her head "Wasn't a fight. It was butchery. There are some fights that even _fanatics_ will realize they simply _cannot_ win."

"Is it revenge for what Stalker has done?" Tiana asked Janet who did not reply. "You cannot say."

"All I can say is that you need to help Iriana." Janet said sadly. "You may be the only one who can."

"What?" Tiana demanded. "I am no healer. No mental specialist."

"I know." Janet seemed to wilt a bit. "She is so angry. So hurt and angry. She won't be thinking clearly. Having her here is a good thing, but they won't be able to hold her when she is fully aware. Not without hurting her, which they are flatly forbidden to do. She will swear vengeance."

"What?" Tiana felt faint. "No! She is a Healer. Not a Warrior!"

"I know." Janet was crying softly now. "And she won't care. She heard and felt Karl die." The Oracle shook her head savagely as Katerina gave a small cry of grief. "You know that path, Tiana. You _know_ what it will do to her!"

"I..." Tiana slumped a bit. "Oracle. If she chooses such, I am honor bound to abide by her choice."

"Say she assumes a warframe. Even if she manages to find the right target, such an act will destroy her!" Janet snapped. "And you know it!"

"Yes." Tiana said sadly. "But that doesn't change the fact that it is _her_ choice. Not _mine_." Janet looked at her and Tiana tensed. "What?"

"She needs you." Janet said firmly. "She has lost herself in rage and pain. She cannot find her way. She needs help. Your sister needs help." Katerina seemed about to speak and thought better of it as Tiana glared at the Oracle.

"Not mine." Tiana keyed for a recall and the world fell away again.

* * *

Reality

"That was rude." Katerina's voice was displeased as Tiana came back to her senses. "She is very upset."

"I hate being a puppet." Tiana replied calmly. "I know I am dancing on her strings, but I don't have to _like_ it."

"You really think she is doing that?" Katerina asked, her tone cold now.

"Yes." Tiana was firm and the other was silent for a moment. Then Katerina sighed.

"Fine." The shade was unhappy, but she moderated her tone. "Your meal will be here in a few minutes. You will have to take it through a straw since no one will trust you with a spoon." Tiana did not react and Katerina sighed again. "We are not enemies, Tenno Tiana."

"My clan needs me." Tiana retorted.

"So does _Iriana_!" Katerina snapped, patience apparently exhausted. "But fine. Get comfortable. You will be here for another twenty hours. We will keep Iriana asleep until we can find a way to help her. Rest well."

The presence that Tiana could barely feel vanished, leaving her to her thoughts.

* * *

"Stubborn Tenno." Katerina said sourly as she watched Tiana sip carefully through the straw that Janna H-15 had set up. The shade stood in the virtual environment again and she wasn't alone.

"They do what they have to do." Janet stood beside Katerina, her visible face sad. "They are playing right into his hands. They are doing exactly what he wants. He didn't think it through, but then again, fanatics rarely _do_."

"Why can't we just tell them?" Katerina begged. "Tiana would listen."

"She might." Janet said sadly. "The others? No." The Oracle shook her head. "The problem isn't Tiana. The problem isn't even Nikis or Karl's clan. They are not stupid, none of them. But they _are_ all dancing on strings. And not _mine_."

"The Lotus won't believe us." Katerina said softly. "The others are hunting vengeance." Janet nodded. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Yes, but it will anger a bunch of people." Janet said slowly. "I... I don't want to do this. If Tiana had done it, we could protect her."

"What do you need?" Katerina asked gently.

"I need you to activate every sensor scrambler you have." Janet said softly. "Everything. This is going to set off alarms across the system. We are going to have every Tenno who isn't busy hunting vengeance hunting _us_. I won't involve Jesse in this."

"She would help." Katerina said softly but froze as the Oracle spun to glare at her. "I know she is your daughter, but she would help."

"She _was_ my daughter." Pain sounded in the Oracle's voice now. "No. She is good. Well trained, and well motivated. But this? No. This doesn't require a Cyberlancer. This requires an Operative."

"Janet..." Katerina said softly. "They will ID him. They will _know_. You know what they will do."

"I know." Janet was crying softly now. "But we have no other good choices. He will be willing, if just to see Jesse again."

"I..." Katerina slumped a bit. "I will be ready. We cannot even tell the Reverend Mother."

"No. She will not react well. I just hope..."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

Somewhere

It was very quiet in the cell. He didn't mind. He had a lot of reading to catch up on. The man he had been had known a lot, but Zacharias was no longer the man he had been. A memory implant that had covered up his true past had been damaged by a deep Grineer interrogation. Even now, he wasn't sure which of his memories were real and which were false. Thing was, he was remembering all kinds of stuff. Like how to get out of the cell he was in. But he wouldn't. He had given the Reverend Mother his word.

What he had done to Janet's first child had been wrong. It had saved Janet's sanity and the girl had grown up a _wonderful_ child so he had few regrets. He didn't remember doing it, but it had been done and he had been the one to do it, so...

His punishment was almost over. As punishments went, this one wasn't that bad. He still worked at the hospital but now most of the women he worked with knew what he had done and their attitudes varied form cold to worried to scared. Some of the patients refused to let him treat them and that hurt a great deal. He was a doctor now, not a covert operative and helping people was his life.

 _Zac._ The voice wasn't familiar for a moment and then it clicked. He hadn't heard it for some time. _Don't react. Speak in your mind. I will hear._

 _You cannot be talking to me, Janet._ Zacharias had tears in his eyes as he spoke to the woman who had been his wife. Before.

 _I don't have any decent alternatives, Zac._ Janet said sadly. _All hell is about to break loose and it is not what people think it is. They are not listening to me. They are angry._

 _With reason._ Zacharius hadn't heard all of what had happened, but one would have had to be mind blind to miss the storm of controversy that had resulted from two outsiders being hidden away at the Convent, the super secret and secure Clergy facility intended for the ascension of a new Reverend Mother. _They can hear this form of speech._

 _Not right now, they can't._ Janet reassured him. _Zac, we are being played. All of us. Tenno and Clergy alike are being manipulated._

 _By who?_ Zacharius asked carefully. There had been a time he had trusted this woman utterly, but times had changed.

 _I cannot answer that, Zac._ Janet said weakly. _All I can say is that we have one chance to stop it. To show everyone what is happening and why. But to do that, I need an operative._

 _I am not one anymore._ Zacharius said slowly.

 _You are all I have._ Janet's voice mixed fear, amusement and a deep affection.

 _And no one else I know of would be crazy enough to steal from the Lotus._


	12. Chapter 12

**Family Issues**

Avalon

He did not move as the portal faded around him. That was wise as no less than _four_ guards were aiming weapons at him. Two wore the uniforms of Orokin Marines. The other two were Tenno in warframes. Turrets whirred as the mechanical defenses powered up to target him as well. He ignored all that and nodded to the stunned looking technician at the portal controls.

"Agent Zacharias to speak to the Empress." The human said calmly as he held out empty hands. "It is very important."

"You are not authorized to be here." One of the Marines said sternly. "Turn around and face the wall. Hands on your head!"

"As you wish." Zacharias complied with the instructions. He did not move as a scanner whirred nearby. He did not move as professional hands searched him.

"Are you insane?" An irate female voice came from a com nearby. This had to be Eliza. She was _not_ happy. "We are on full alert and you just _pop_ in for a visit?"

"If it wasn't urgent, I wouldn't have broken out of my cell and overridden the transport portal to get here." Zacharias said quietly as his hands were manacled behind him. "The Clergy don't know I am here. Not yet. They will in about twenty minutes."

"You have to be insane." Eliza said with a scowl in her voice. "Do you have _any_ idea the storm of fecal matter that is about to land on you?"

"Did Jesse go to work this morning?" Zacharias asked softly. There was utter silence in the room. "I may not be her biological father. I may not even be anything to her anymore. But she is something to _me_!"

"Someone you _abused_ when she was _minutes_ old." Eliza's tone might have frozen a star.

"Yes, I did." Zacharias bowed his head. "My only defense is that Janet couldn't handle a boy. Janet was losing her mind. We both loved Jesselle. I cannot change what I did. I wouldn't even if I could. She is the best daughter a man could hope for. Even if she does have the common sense of a _rock_ sometimes."

"What did you mean 'Did Jesse go to work'?" Eliza demanded. "She works out of her apartment."

"According to Janet, who contacted me in my cell..." Zacharias said slowly and carefully. "...Jesse was scheduled to work elsewhere today. But she took a sick day, didn't she? And she had company last night." Not a question.

"She...did... Oh no." Eliza suddenly sounded upset. "She is not responding to my call! What is going on?"

"She wants to grow up." Zacharias couldn't fight the tears that threatened and truth be told, didn't try hard. "She wants to be a full adult and has _no_ idea what that means."

"Bring him! Now!" Eliza commanded.

Someone had a hold of Zacharias's arm and ushered him into corridors that were golden. If he hadn't been so worried about Jesse, he likely would have gawked. But he was moving too fast, his escort keeping him moving. People in golden uniforms made way for him. In moments, they were in an elevator and it sped through tunnels that were far cleaner than anything he had imagined Orokin facilities might look like. Stood to reason. These were still maintained. The elevator opened and he heard Eliza talking loudly. Five prime warframes stood around, their postures worried.

"Jesse. Open the door. Now." The Empress commanded. Ahead, Zacharias could see two female forms in gowns standing by a door. Another form stood nearby, his form partly concealed by shifting holograms of some kind. The older woman by the door keyed a code into a panel and cursed. "Dang it, she changed the code!"

"Draco." Zacharias spoke softly but all eyes landed on him. "It isn't your fault. She is sneaky and I doubt she planned any of this." The shrouded form that had to be Jesse's bodyguard shrugged. "Janet wasn't sure. Was this her first?"

"Her first...boy." The younger golden gowned woman said with a frown. "Not her first experience. We were happy for her. She was ecstatic that she found someone who would be kind to her. Someone she liked. Who made her happy."

"I am glad. Can she hear us?" Zacharias asked. All three of the others nodded."Jesse, open the door." He commanded. Eliza looked at him and he shrugged. "Worth a try."

"Yeah, well..." Eliza scowled as she tapped keys. "How the heck...? She changed a _hardwired override_? Dang that girl is _scary_ at times."

"Do you have vital signs?" Zacharias asked Draco who nodded. "Okay. Good. Our family is... kind of prone to emotional upsets. She was never really suicidal that anyone could find, but..."

"But she is a teenager." The younger gowned woman said with a grunt. "I am Michelle."

"Both of you?" Zacharias asked, concerned. "If I was a bomb like the guy in the Tower..." He broke off as Eliza and Michelle both glared at him. "Oh, right. Orokin tech could detect it, couldn't it?"

"Detect _and_ disable. When it is set to and Avalon was always set to detect such things. Lots of people with grudges against the Royal Family." Eliza snapped. "Okay. So... she is alive and conscious. But not responding." She shook her head. "Draco." The shrouded Tenno looked at her and she sighed. "A broken door or a broken soul? Break the fricking door."

"Wait." Zacharias exclaimed as the Tenno drew two dark swords. "Are you _sure_ she can hear us?" Eliza glowered but nodded. He stepped forward, whoever was escorting him moving with him. "Jesse. I am sorry. I know you are scared. Does it hurt? Are you sick? _Please_ Jesse! Your mom couldn't come. She sent _me_."

"Dad?" Everyone froze as a timid voice sounded from the intercom. "You are going to get in trouble."

"Of _course_ I am, Jesse." Zacharias said with a snort. "I had to break out of a cell and take an unauthorized portal to get here. But my little girl is in trouble. Even if the one known as Jesse now isn't my _daughter_ anymore, she is and always _will be_ my little girl."

Eliza stared at him and the Empress' face softened a bit. Michelle just shook her head.

"Dad... I messed up." Jesse said weakly.

"Is anyone dead?" Zacharias ignored the torrent of incredulous looks that landed on him.

"No!" Jesse protested. "I just... Dad... I..."

"Jesse. Calm down." Zacharias said quietly. "You scared us all. You scared Janet. But we can fix this. Right?" He asked the Empress who nodded. Eliza made another gesture and the manacles on Zacharias' wrists were removed. He nodded thanks to her and spoke to the intercom again. "Jesse, let us in please. We can help. Please let us."

"You are going to laugh." Jesse sounded one step from tears.

"I might." Zacharias replied honestly. "But Jesse, even if I laugh at you, you know I still love you, right?"

Instead of an answer, the door clicked open. Zacharias was the first through, with Draco hot on his heels. He took in the scene at a glance. One wall was nothing but masses of computer equipment. Another wall was bare, oddly so. A bed was set against a third and a door was open to what looked like a fairly luxurious bathing facility on the forth. Jesse sat on the bed, huddled oddly, her arms wrapped around herself. An oddly lumpy looking sheet was wrapped around her.

"Jesse?" Zacharias asked as Draco peeled off to stand by the door. He could feel others behind him and hear two sharp inhalations as Eliza and Michelle saw Jesse. "Come on, girl. Stop scaring us."

He moved to the bed and sat down beside Jesse. He reached out to pull her close as she started to cry. But what he touched had him freezing. Her chest was far, far larger than it should have been. He shifted his hands quickly to surround her in a hug that she returned. He turned his head to Eliza who was staring, face pale. 'Medic!' He mouthed at her. 'NOW!'

Eliza nodded and moved back to the door where she started speaking quickly. Jesse jerked in Zacharias' grip and he started to rub as he had when she was a small child, terrified by nightmares. He was careful where he put his hands though.

"What did you _do_ , Jesse?" Michelle asked, horrified.

"I was just... It was..." Jesse was crying as Zacharias held her. "It felt so good and he was so gentle. I was...it was... They just _grew!_ " Zacharias worked to soothe her as she sobbed.

"Janet was worried that your code might react to your feelings, Jesse." Zacharias said softly as he continued to calm his daughter. "That your code would cause some kind of physical problem. It is not your fault, Jesse. Nor your paramour's. No one had _any_ idea about this. No Cyberlancer has been in such a position for a long, long time and I _bet_ they didn't discuss such things except amongst themselves."

"I feel so messed up." Jesse cried as her father held her. "So funky."

"I think they can fix this, honey." Zacharias said gently as Jesse cried. " _Please_ tell me you used protection."

"Dad!" Jesse was laughing and crying in equal measure now.

" _Please_ tell me you did." Zacharias begged, but then he tweaked her nose and she giggled as she had as a kid. "You are not ready for such, Jesse."

"I did." Jesse said sadly. "We did. It... Dad... I..." She broke off as he hugged her tight. "Dad." The gratitude in her voice was heartfelt.

"You listen to the medics, girl." Zacharias said quietly as he held his daughter. "You need to figure out why this happened and learn to keep it from happening again. I don't mind you go seeking pleasure, companionship, or love. Just... be careful? Please?"

He rose and stepped from the bed as two medics came bustling in. To their credit, neither of them made any comments as they started examining Jesse. Jesse held onto his hand until he stepped away again and then she slumped a bit, her hand dropping to her side as the two medics worked.

"Tend her here." Eliza said flatly. Both medics paused and looked at the somewhat less angry Empress. "And if one _word_ of this gets spread around, I will let _you_ explain to _Draco_ why." But she wasn't looking at Jesse. She was looking at Zacharias and her eyes were speculative.

Zacharias did not react, but internally, alarms were going off. Janet had warned him that Eliza was sharp and she hadn't been kidding. The Empress suspected something. Zacharias folded his arms as he leaned up against the wall of computers. It might be a long day.

* * *

Later

"Come."

Jesse was asleep now, a mild sedative working keep her discomfort to a minimum. The alterations the medics had done had been...extensive. But the girl was back to her normal bust size again.

Michelle had vanished, off to do some kind of work. Eliza hadn't left Jesse's side. Neither had Zacharias. But now, Jesse was recovering. Eliza nodded to her guards and started for another door nearby. It opened for her. As gentle nudge from behind him started him following. They didn't need to be gentle.

The room beyond was a surprise. It was a sitting room. Comfortable chairs were scattered around the area. Eliza sat on one and both of her guards took up station beside it. She waved Zacharias to another chair and he say carefully. She smiled grimly at his expression.

"The chair is not trapped." She said mildly. "The _room_ is." Zacharias nodded. He had expected nothing less from someone who ruled an Empire. Even if it was a tiny one. "Why are you here?"

"You do not want to know." Zacharias said quietly, folding his hands into his lap.

"I _did_ ask, so... logically, I _do_ want an answer." Eliza was still calm.

"I beg to contradict an Empress." Zacharias matched her calm. "My life is forfeit. For breaking out of the Clergy prison. For putting your haven at risk even though I tried to muddle the portal traces. Jesse needed the help and I would have been willing to throw my life away for her at any time."

"We would have managed." Eliza said soberly. Zacharias nodded. "So... you came here. Now. Janet told you what happened?"

"She said Jesse needed help." Zacharias replied. "She wouldn't elaborate. Good thing. I might have balked. There are some things a father simply shouldn't _see_." Eliza smiled a little at that and nodded.

"Janet still loves you. Jesse still loves you." Eliza was working her way through her thoughts carefully. "She... No. Jesse alone wouldn't be a good enough reason to throw your life away. You knew we would help her. Draco would have broken down the door. I would have consoled her, held her while the medics worked. So... why are _you_ here?"

"Empress..." Zacharias said slowly. "Things that a government cannot admit to, never happened." Eliza froze and her face was a mask. "Iriana is breaking. Nothing the Clergy does can help her. Every time she wakes, she is demanding to assume a warframe." At _that_ , both of the Tenno beside Eliza hissed and Eliza scowled.

"Iriana is a Healer, not a Warrior." Eliza said softly. Zacharias nodded. "What did Janet see?"

"Succeed or fail in gaining vengeance for Karl's death, if Iriana takes up a warframe, she will die." Zacharias said quietly. "Either by the enemy's hand or her own. And no, I do not know who the enemy is. Janet was frustratingly vague about that."

"She knew we would scan your mind." Eliza shook her head with a smile. "Still sneakiness made human."

"That she is." Zacharias agreed. "Point is, Empress. You can scan me. You can deep scan me. You can take the time to find out everything I know, what I came for and why. And then Iriana will die. She is far more important than I am. Janet says she is needed to counter this threat."

"If she is so broken, then she will need time to heal." Eliza mused. Zacharias did not reply and she looked at him. "What?"

"She will not give herself the time." Zacharias said firmly. "Besides helping Jesse, I was sent to do one thing and I was told it will endanger _none_ of your people."

" _None_." Eliza didn't bother to hide the disbelief in her voice.

"Any oath I might give would be meaningless." Zacharias said slowly. "Except for _this_. I swear on my daughter's love that I will harm none of your subjects. My life is forfeit." He shook his head. "Either you kill me or the Clergy does. But I saw Jesse and helped her, so... it is enough."

"You have already done whatever it is, haven't you?" Eliza asked, concerned. Zacharias nodded. "What did you do?"

"I don't know." Zacharias admitted. "When I leaned up against the computer banks in Jesse's room, while the medics were working, something changed. I don't know what. All I can do is trust Janet. Are your executions cruel and prolonged like the Executors?"

"No." Eliza said softly. " _If_ it is decided that your life is to end, it will be quick and painless. What did Janet tell you to do? Exactly?"

"She told me to come. To help Jesse and to lean up against a wall of computers in Jesse's room." Zacharias' tone was just as soft. "That is all I know."

"You are telling the truth." Eliza sounded confused. "She really didn't tell you?"

"Whatever I don't know, I cannot divulge and you cannot be complicit in anything without knowledge of such. No?" Zacharias said with a smile. Eliza stared at him and he shrugged. "Like I say, I don't know what she planned. I _assume_ from her circumspection it will be a major incident between allies and throwing me to the wolves may ease the tension between all of them. Feel free to do so."

"This is to save Iriana." Eliza said slowly. "And she is the key to some kind of solution?"

"So I surmise." Zacharias smiled a bit grimly. "I would like to live, but I always knew my death would come. I am mortal. I hurt my firstborn and lied about it to my superiors. Iriana is everything I wish I was. A true healer. No one trusts me now."

"Those computers..." Eliza paled as an alarm sounded. " That... You _idiot_! What have you _done_?"

"I don't know."

* * *

The small packet of code was self contained. It wasn't anything that any of the virus detection systems or filters could recognize. It wasn't a program per say. It really wasn't anything except a piece of another code. It sought the rest of itself through the systems it flowed through. It was so small that it slipped through cracks that even the sneakiest of viruses would have had difficulty passing.

Finally, the packet of code found what it sought. It found the _rest_ of itself.

He jerked awake, aware that he was in _deep_ trouble. He was in a virtual environment, a prison. He had _moments_ , if that. His jailer was nothing if not thorough. But... The piece of code that had woken him had something else attached. Coordinates. Unfamiliar ones.

"Damned if I do. _Dead_ if I don't." He said softly as he knelt into seiza. The familiar feeling of recall grabbed him and swept him away as the sound of the Lotus' scream of rage sounded nearby as he vanished from her virtual prison.

He was unarmed and hurt. But he was ready for just about anything when he appeared at the end of the teleport. Or so he _thought_.

He materialized in a small room. It was occupied. He stared at the form on the bed and recoiled, slamming into a wall. The woman in the bed was heavily sedated. A siren going off beside her head likely wouldn't wake her.

"No!" He screamed as he backed away from the sleeping woman on the bed. "No! You _cannot_ do this to me!"

"Heaven help us all." Katerina said sadly as the shade appeared beside Iriana's bed. "You are her only hope, Stalker."

"And ours."


	13. Chapter 13

**Denying**

Tiana woke to a soft, but heated discussion somewhere nearby. She felt better than she had for some time. She couldn't make out any of the words no matter how she strained, so she sighed and opened her eyes. She froze as they did, and she could see.

She was lying on a bed in a tiny room. The bed was the only furniture in the room. The walls were bare. But she wasn't alone. A young human girl wearing some kind of odd gown or smock thing sat on the floor beside her bed, but the girl's head was down. She was _asleep!_

"What the-?" Tiana muttered softly, but it was loud enough. The girl jerked awake, piercing blue eyes finding Tiana with panic in them. "Whoa there." Tiana said quickly as the girl tensed. "Easy."

"Oh no! I fell _asleep_." The girl sounded mortified. "I am sorry, Miss Tiana. I didn't mean to. I swear."

"Shouldn't swear." Tiana said with a smile that became a grin as the girl goggled at her. "It is rude." The girl jerked and then she smiled a little hesitantly.

"I um... I was ordered to sit with you until you woke." The girl said with a nod. "My name is Janna H-15."

"Tiana." The supine Tenno said calmly. "But you knew that."

"You are... not what I expected." Janna H-15 said after a moment.

"How so?" Tiana asked as she sat up slowly. Everything worked as it should. Nothing hurt and she wasn't fuzzy as she had been before.

"I... I don't know." Janna H-15 said softly. "I mean, we are taught about Tenno in Indoctrination. But... I didn't think of what you might look like outside of the warframes. I always thought Tenno would look different. Inhuman." Her face turned scared suddenly. "I mean no offense!"

"None taken." Tiana said quietly. "Janna H-15. You are not my enemy, are you?" Janna H-15 shook her head quickly and Tiana smiled. "Good. I am what I am, but that doesn't mean I need to be rude about it." She stretched slowly, testing every muscle she could and smiled when everything did as it should. "Treatment done?"

"They wanted you to take an extra day. You were very exposed." Janna H-15 said quietly. Tiana nodded. "But the radiation is gone from your body and you have recovered, so..." She smiled a bit tremulously. "Are you hungry?"

"I seem to recall your voice before." Tiana said slowly. Janna H-15 nodded. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes." Janna H-15 replied. "I am... Well..." She shook her head. "This is my punishment." She admitted. Tiana stared at her and Janna H-15 flushed. "It was not my fault!"

"Janna H-15." A quiet but firm voice sounded and Tiana jerked as a hologram appeared nearby. The woman was the one she had spoke to before. Katerina. "Get Tenno Tiana her meal, please."

"Yes, Lady Katerina!" Tiana goggled as Janna H-15 nearly flew from the room.

Katerina looked at Tiana and then at the door that was now closing in Janna H-15's haste. She shook her head and her smile was rueful.

"Between you and me, it wasn't her fault. What happened." Katerina said quietly. "But she did break rules. She needs to learn which ones can be bent, which ones can be broken and which ones _can't_." Tiana looked at the shade and Katerina's smile turned into an impish grin. "And I get some company for a bit. So I am not complaining."

"You said before that I am on Neptune." Tiana said slowly. Katerina nodded. "And... Iriana needs help? I was... confused."

"You were sick from radiation poisoning." Katerina said gently. "No one took any offense. We are working on helping Iriana. But she is a mess. She felt Karl die. The bomb was intended for her."

"Because of who Mishka's father is?" Tiana asked. Katerina grimaced and nodded. "Idiots. It wasn't like she _knew_."

"And is it your experience that fanatics tend to be super geniuses?" Katerina asked. Tiana had to smile at that. "But no. What they did was dumb. Doing that way was even more so. And then they missed her."

"And got Karl." Tiana sighed. She shook herself. "You have aided me, Katerina. What may I do to repay the debt I owe?"

"You owe us nothing, Tenno Tiana." Katerina said formally. "We -the Clergy- are sworn to protect the human race. To ensure its survival. The Tenno will be instrumental in said survival." She made a face. 'That is entirely beside the way the Reverend Mother feels about this situation. She may not be with you anymore but she is _still_ scary as hell when she loses her temper."

"I bet." Tiana said with a small frown. "Needless to say, you have hidden me in my infirmity. Why?"

"Most of the places you could have recovered, you would have been exposed to more Void energy." Katerina said mildly. Tiana stared at her and then slowly nodded. "It probably wouldn't have _hurt_ you, but it _would_ have slowed your recovery. Commander Horatius suggested this and the Reverend Mother jumped at it." She slumped a bit. "She is angry. Very angry."

"So am I." Tiana agreed. "Karl should have killed me when he found me. I was a divergent Grineer. A mistake. I wasn't going to be cloned again." She shook her head. "I... I didn't understand what he was doing when he took me in. I didn't understand why he was. I doubt _he_ did." Katerina shook her transparent head. "What is the situation currently?"

"It is a mess." Katerina replied. "The Tenno as a whole are furious, but have no target. The Red Veil proved difficult when Grandmaster Nikis went to speak to them." Tina stiffened and Katerina nodded. "They won't make _that_ mistake again. The ones that _survived_ it."

"Ouch." Tiana swallowed hard and shuddered. The shade matched her shudder. "If they are still around, I assume they didn't do it." Katerina shook her head.

"No." The shade replied. "Nikis apparently dragged the leader to Sun who wrung the blasted terrorist _out_." Hate sang in the shade's voice now. Tiana looked at her and Katerina actually _snarled_. "Don't start. I hate the Red Veil They like targeting people who cannot fight back."

"Not all of them." Tiana offered.

"Do not mention them to Janna H-15." Katerina warned. "She doesn't know what happened to her parents and we want to keep it that way." Tiana froze and the shade nodded. "She is on her way back with a tray for you. Once you are up for it, we have a shielded portal here. You can go wherever you wish."

"And Iriana?" Tiana asked, her tone sharp.

"Until we can help her, she has to stay here." Katerina said sadly. "It is a cage, but safe one. Whoever attacked her will try again."

"Don't tell me the Oracle doesn't know." Tiana snapped, a familiar feeling rising. Anger.

"One thing about Oracles..." Katerina by contrast was calm and sure. "Most of what they know, they cannot _say_. Either they see myriad possible futures or they see _worse_ consequences for getting involved." She shook her head again. "Wouldn't want that burden for all the riches in the universe."

Instead of answering, Tiana sat up. _Heron?_

 _Tenno Tiana!_ Heron's voice was jubilant when he replied. Then it turned stern. _You SCARED us!_

 _Sorry about that._ Tiana looked at Katerina who smiled and vanished. _What is happening?_

 _A lot._ The boy sounded worried. _Most of it bad. I see bits and pieces. I try not to ride others until we pass our Trial, but it hard. My power keeps calling to me to use it and I can't stop._ Shame sounded in his tone. _I hurt you._

 _Heron._ Tiana rose to her feet and cautiously took a step. Everything worked. _It needed to be done. I am not dead and we learned a bit. It's all good._

 _The Lotus is angry._ Heron said weakly and Tiana froze. _I don't know why. She won't tell us._

 _Angry?_ Tiana sat back down, fear rising. For the Lotus to be _angry_... _She won't tell you why?_

 _No._ Heron sounded upset and who could blame him? There was an old saying: 'When mother is unhappy, _everyone_ is unhappy'. _I think it has something to do with those Corpus allies. Those Clergy people. But I do not know what or why._

 _The_ **Clergy** _?_ Tiana worked hard to keep her mind still as shock raced through her. She could feel Heron's sudden worry and she hastened to reassure him. _I am okay, just tired and out of the loop. I will be in touch, okay?_

 _Being out of the loop may not be a bad thing right now._ Heron said weakly. _Everyone is upset._

 _I need to go, Heron._ Tiana sat carefully as the door opened and Janna H-15 entered, a large tray balanced on one hand. _I will be in touch, brother._

 _I will be here. Sister._ The mental feeling faded.

"I hope you do not mind." Janna H-15 set the tray down and smiled at Tiana. "I brought enough for both of us. I would like to talk to you, if I may. I know Tenno do not speak in the field. But... We are not. Are we?"

"There is a lot I cannot talk about." Tiana said as Janna H-15 uncovered two bowls of steaming soup. "You fed me before. Did you have to take care of... everything?"

"Yeah, well..." Janna H-15 looked embarrassed. "I wasn't sure if you would try to bite me or whatever. I was very scared of you." Something about her tone rang false to Tiana, but the Tenno just reached for the bowls. "Take your pick." Janna H-15 said brightly. Tiana froze, her hand halfway to the bowl. And Janna H-15 did likewise. "Ma'am?"

"I need to see Iriana first." Tiana said, retracting her hand. "If she is as bad off as Katerina says, she needs help."

"We are keeping her asleep." Janna H-15 said sadly. "When she wakes she started screaming." Tiana winced at that and Janna H-15 nodded. "Screaming about taking vengeance."

"You are denying her the right to choose?" Tiana's voice was calm, but inside, she was a coiled spring. "That is not right."

"She is messed up." Janna H-15 said with a frown. "I don't understand all of what they said, but it is some kind of energy that was designed to kill her. It didn't, but it hurt her. Inside her mind." The girl slumped. "I don't think it is something we can fix. But the sisters want to try everything first. We are not confining her." Janna H-15 pleaded as Tiana scowled. "We do not want to change her. We want to help and we do not know _how_."

"Janna H-15." Tiana said firmly. "I need to see Iriana. Now."

"I..." Janna H-15 looked one step from tears. "I can't." Tiana stared at her as the girl bowed her head. "Kill me if you must, but I _can't_."

"Why would I kill you?" Tiana asked. "You haven't attacked me. Indeed, you have tended me in my infirmity. Why would I kill you?"

"I... I _can't_..." Janna H-15 gave a small cry and buried her face in her hands. Sobs were hard.

Tiana rose from the bed and strode to the door. It opened to her touch. The voices from before were louder in the hall. It wasn't a large hall and the walls were dotted with murals of some kind. She ignored those, striding to the next door, where the voices were coming from. She froze as a voice sounded from nearby.

"Come in, Tiana." Katerina's voice was sad and sick now. "You and Iriana are in no danger here. Please do not do anything...rash." Tiana opened the door and peered into the room.

The room was larger than hers had been, but not by much. Iriana lay on the bed, her face slack with sleep, but the tracks of dried tears staining it. But all of that paled beside the form who knelt beside the bed. The red and black not-quite-a-warframe that looked as if it were bleeding.

" _YOU!_ " Tiana screamed as she hurled herself towards the kinslayer. She had no warframe. No weapons. It didn't _matter_. He didn't move as she slammed into him. He made no move to defend himself as her blows rained over his armor to no effect.

"Are you _done_?" The cold voice was familiar. Stalker was somewhere between angry and amused. "I am not who you think."

"Well, I _think_ you have killed my kin!" Tiana screamed. "That you would kill more!"

"Yes." Stalker replied, still that odd mix of exasperated and amused.

"You _admit_ it?" Tiana was getting where with punches, so she resorted to kicks. Those too had no effect at all.

"Of course I do." Stalker scoffed. "Self delusion is a weakness." Now his tone hardened. "I am what I am."

"A murderer." Tiana retreated a step, confused. But she was wary.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be." Stalker replied. A cough had both of them looking to where Katerina stood, scowling at them. "Or not."

"Well, pardon me for taking offense at you trying to _kill me_." Tiana snapped.

"That does put a dampener on our relationship." Stalker sounded fully amused now.

" _WHY IS_ **HE** _HERE?_ " Tiana screamed at Katerina who winced, looking at Iriana who slept on. To her surprise, _Stalker_ replied.

"Because if she takes up a warframe, I will have to hunt her." The amusement was gone from Stalker's voice now. "And I do not want to."

"So?" Tiana was in rare form now. "You _kill_ Tenno. It is what you _do_! Why _not_ kill her?"

"What does a _Grineer_ know of _love_?" His head snapped to her as Tiana spoke in voice of iron.

"What does a _murderer_ and _traitor_ know of _honor_?" Tiana asked. He stared at her for a long moment and then he nodded once, sharply.

"Point...taken." The red and black form said slowly. When he spoke again, it was calmer and not mocking. "The weapon used was intended for her. It was keyed _to_ her. Even if it missed, it would still hurt her badly. That is the _point_ of such a horrific thing. That is _why_ the Orokin made them. To terrorize their enemies. Even if they survive the initial blast, they usually wind up suicidal." Stalker said calmly. "Iriana is _hurt_. She is not in her right mind. Treating her as if she is, is _stupid_."

"I..." Tiana shook her head. "I assumed they did full scans." She looked at Katerina who pursed her lips, but remained silent.

"Even if they _did_..." Stalker actually slumped a bit. "No one today outside of Avalon would know how to look for such. How to heal it. And sending her there is a _bad_ idea. You will understand. You were overexposed to Void radiation. Suppose they take her somewhere that a _lot_ of the same kind of energy that hurt her is stored?" Tiana jerked, staring at him and Stalker laughed without mirth. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me that you didn't suspect that the Emperor and his family wouldn't keep a few cool toys lying around."

"That does make sense." Tiana said, manifestly against her will. "So... truce?" It hurt to say that, but Tiana knew the Healer was the important one.

"Until Iriana is healed, I am here to help _her_." Stalker replied. "Truce."

"What can you tell me?" Tiana asked. "I mean...that sounded like firsthand experience with such weapons."

"It was a long time ago." Stalker said evenly. "But yes. I used them on orders and I saw them used. They are a classic terror weapon. Almost impossible to detect, impossible to disarm. Utterly lethal at short range. Only the other Tenno's presence kept Iriana from dying." He sighed a bit. "Never thought I would be grateful to a Betrayer, but... There it is."

"Karl would have given his life for Iriana gladly." Tiana felt grief rise again, she tamped it down. "Our clan hurt her once. We owed her."

"That debt is paid the only way it could be. With blood." Stalker replied. "Now? We need to fix this. But I am no healer. I cannot go into her mind and heal the damage. I know there is a way to siphon the energy. Or... there _was_." He qualified. "I have no idea _what_ it was. Healing was never my focus."

Tiana looked at the shade who shook her head.

"No idea." Katerina mused. "But that does give us a place to start."

"What _kind_ of energy is it?" Tiana asked suddenly. "It is not Void Energy, is it?"

"No." Stalker looked at her and shook his head. "No idea really. Just that it resonates in some frequency that is damaging to our kind."

"Our... kind..." Tiana mused. The others looked at her and she suddenly smiled. "What if... I knew someone who could manipulate such energies?"

"Tiana..." Katerina warned. "We cannot involve anyone else. We um... We may have made a miscalculation."

"Stealing this copy of me from the Lotus' secure data vaults _might_ be considered such. Yes." Stalker was amused again.

"You... _WHAT?_ " Tiana exclaimed and then stared at Iriana, but the Healer slept on.

"They had a need." Stalker said softly. "And I do love Iriana. Even now, I still love her. Hunhow couldn't burn it out of every copy although it sure tried." He chuckled without mirth. "But yeah. Every single Tenno is going to be looking for me now and I can hardly defend myself in this state. If we are going to save Iriana, we are going to have to do it quickly."

"'Siphon', you said about the detrimental energy." Tiana said slowly. Stalker nodded. "That implies that it goes _to_ somewhere."

"Yeah, but getting to it and getting it out of her will be-" Stalker broke off as Tiana shook her head. "What?"

"Won't be a problem." The young Tenno said calmly.

"The _problem_ is going to be keeping Sun and Nikis in the dark long enough to do it..."


	14. Chapter 14

**Shell Games**

"Are you _sure_ about this?"

"Stop asking that."

"I am just saying..."

"What you are saying is that you are scared of Nikis and Sun. I cannot say I blame you. This is her only chance."

"I know. You hold up your end, I will hold up mine."

"Like either of us will trust the other."

"Except to save Iriana."

"Except for that."

The Convent

Tiana sat in the small room she had woken in, focusing her mind on nothing. It was harder than normal to stay focused, but she was driven now. She had a purpose. Tenno always fought better with a purpose. She opened her mind as she had been taught by her clan leader and cast out with it.

 _Heron. We need to talk._

 _I cannot see you._ The mind of the disabled child who dearly wanted to be Tenno was confused. _I cannot see through your eyes. Where are you? I have been trying to see you and I cannot. None of us can._

 _I do not know where I am and that is a good thing._ _Iriana needs the safety right now_. Tiana replied honestly. _I need to talk to the Lotus and you need to be there._

 _Um... Tiana... She is very upset._ The boy sounded worried now. Tiana would have had to be mind blind to miss his sudden apprehension. _Grandmaster Nikis and Grandmaster Sun have both been to talk to us and... they are upset._

 _What happened?_ Tiana asked carefully.

 _I am not sure. I can set up a meeting. The Voices are done with us for the day._ The boy's tone warmed. _I like them._

 _So do I._ Tiana had a smile in her voice as she felt Heron's mind touch hers. She reached out a mental hand and he pulled her to him, a gentle embrace. The trip was quick and she was standing in a soft and gentle virtual environment in seconds. She had to smile at it. The room was very Tenno. Bare and clean, with Tekko drums arrayed against one wall and a banner with the insignia of the Lotus as the sole other decoration against another wall. "Very nice _._ " She admired as she knelt in sieza.

"I have been practicing." Heron's voice preceded the boy into view. He looked worried. "Tenno do not need a lot of extra frills that humans take for granted, but a few decorations seemed appropriate."

"They are." Tiana reassured the boy. Odd. He was far, far older than she was, but he was still a child in so many ways. "Heron, I do not want to hurt you, but the Lotus... she is angry." Heron looked scared for a moment and nodded. "It is not your fault. Nor mine."

"What have those Clergy liars told you?" The Lotus' voice was cold as she appeared, arms crossed over her chest.

"They have told me what the weapon was." Tiana replied evenly. Heron stared at her and she slumped a bit. "Orokin did like to do things in the most spectacular manner, did they not?"

"Yes, they did." The Lotus unbent a little. Tiana did not looked at her and she nodded. "I am upset, but not with you. Or with Heron and his siblings. More with myself. I wanted to try and do something good and it backfired." Tiana looked at her and the Lotus slumped. "A copy of Stalker came to me, warned me of Hunhow's intent to destroy the Reservoir. That copy had broken partially free from his compulsions. I wanted to see if I could free him completely from his need for vengeance. He made ironclad vows to kill those responsible for the Collapse. But those responsible _are_ dead. He _cannot_ see that and I wanted..." She looked away as Tiana inhaled. "Iriana is my child as surely as Heron is. And with Mishka, Sara and Serene gone,she is _alone_."

"You wanted to try and give her back her mate!" Tiana said, wonder coming out of every pore. Heron stared from one to the other. The Lotus nodded. "Oh, _Lotus_..."

"And I _failed_." The Lotus said sadly. "I never had time to try and help him. I had done some preliminary scans and then..." She sighed again. "Nikis and Sun are both upset with me that I had him and didn't tell them but either of them would have killed him. I wanted to try and do something good. Humans have a saying that is apt. 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'."

"What happened?" Tiana asked carefully.

"Jesse had a problem that no one envisioned." The Lotus shook her head. "That girl... I swear... She could give _Hawk_ a run for her money in sheer dogged gonna-be-stupid-ness. And yes, that is a word now." Tiana couldn't help it, she giggled. Heron goggled at her as the Lotus grunted. "Yes, I have been hanging around Nikis a lot these days. More than I should. He still doesn't like me."

"So Jesse was hurt?" Tiana asked, worried.

"Not hurt per say." The Lotus said with a small shrug. "Embarrassed and needing help, but not hurt. She is okay now. But... To help her, her dad came."

"Isn't her father in prison for what he did to her as a newborn?" Tiana asked slowly. The Lotus made a face and Tiana winced. "Oh."

"Yeah. 'Oh'." The Lotus replied with a scowl. "He broke out of the prison and came. He helped Jesse. Janet sent him and he wasn't entirely aware of what else she was going to do. Somehow -and I am still not sure _how_ \- she managed to free the copy of Stalker from the prison I had it in."

"Oh...dear..." Tiana said with feeling. The Lotus nodded.

"Yeah. Oh dear. Are _you_ all right?" The Lotus asked.

"I am recovered." Tiana reassured her. "Thing is, Iriana hasn't gotten any better."

"It has only been a couple of days, Sister." Heron was trying to reassure her but Tiana shook her head.

"The ones here are very worried about her. She _isn't_ getting any better at all. The energy is not bleeding off like mine did." Tiana said quietly. The Lotus froze and Tiana nodded. "Was the weapon intended for her?"

"Yes." The Lotus said quietly. "We still have no motive. Sun and Nikis are working hard, but... There are few leads. The Rising have all vanished."

"Smart of them if they were involved in any way." Tiana tamped down her anger, it wouldn't help. "The Clergy have access to many records, some of which I doubt are in Tenno archives." Massive understatement there. "I think I spoke with Oracle Janet as well." She mused. The Lotus was suddenly intent. "I was confused. Angry." She shook her head. "I am _still_ angry, but I am not poisoned anymore. She said that the bomb was in a human who was not in control of himself."

" _What_?" The Lotus actually sounded shocked.

"That is what she said, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me." Tiana replied. "The Clergy have records that say Orokin used weapons that could disrupt energy forms or the energy inside beings like us but nothing more than that. The Reverend Mother is furious. She is pushing everyone to find out whatever they can."

"She loves Iriana too." The Lotus said softly. "Could it be...?" She looked away and then at Tiana who tensed under the masked woman's scrutiny. "What do you think?"

"Me?" Tiana asked. "I cannot get over the fact that this was done in such a cowardly manner. Most Tenno with a grudge against her would attack her, but... a _bomb_? That is _not_ the Tenno way."

"Tenno use whatever works." The Lotus sounded distant now. Obviously thinking hard. "But you are right. That is..." She jerked and her gaze landed full force on Tiana who stared at her. Heron froze, confused. The Lotus' tone was suddenly calm. Calm, powerful, totally in control. But also warm, kind. Worried. "Do you know what you are doing, Tenno Tiana?"

"Yes Lotus, I do." Tiana replied. She knew. Somehow, the masked woman _knew_. But... she wasn't angry now? What? "I don't think this was connected to Stalker. I think Iriana was attacked for _another_ reason."

"Oh girl..." The Lotus said sadly. "None so blind as those who see. So brave. True Tenno. I..." The blue and purple garbed woman seemed to slump, but then she smiled. "Thank you. I didn't see it until now. I am too close to this. I need to maintain my distance. I will be in touch. Heron?" The boy jerked where he knelt. " _Help her_."

Both of the others jumped a little as the Lotus vanished. Heron stared at where his mother had been and then at Tiana who grimaced. "Sister?"

" _That_ was the _easy_ meeting." Tiana said with a grunt. "Don't say or do _anything_." She cast out with her mind again, this time seeking a specific path of energy that she had been told would serve. She tapped it and a feeling of anger swept over her. She abased herself, begging without words for pardon.

"What the _hell_ are you- What the-?" Heron froze solid as a familiar pitch black Nekros appeared in the middle of the virtual room. "You!"

"Forgive me, Grandmaster." Tiana based herself, bowing her head all the way to the floor. "I needed your attention and I needed no one else the wiser. I would not have disrupted the path otherwise."

Considering that said path was a conduit to the now closed down Orokin _database_? Oh no. She wasn't going anywhere **_near_** it _ever_ again.

"You better not." Nikis growled. "You wanted my attention? You got it. Talk fast."

"You have seen the weapon that killed Karl and hurt Iriana before." Tiana said quietly, not raising her head. "The Clergy records that I have been allowed access to spoke of such weapons. Horrific things."

"Orokin liked their horrors." Heron's voice was soft.

"Not all of them." Nikis sounded grudging, but he _was_ listening. "But yeah, I have seen them. What of it?"

"Two things." Tiana said and then paused. "Well, three. First. The records I have seen said that the weapon had to be 'keyed' to an individual." Nikis grunted and she took that as a demand to continue. "Could you tell _which_ individual it was keyed to?"

"What is the point?" Nikis demanded. "It was set outside of Iriana's office. It was for her."

"Was it?" Tiana asked and despite her face to the floor she could _feel_ the Nekros' scrutiny. "Obviously it was meant to kill 'a' Tenno, but Iriana? Why a _bomb_? That is cowardly."

"Effective." Nikis snarled.

"True, but..." Tiana shook her head. "Maybe I was around Karl too much, but I thought Tenno tried to act with honor. Or at least with a certain awareness of how honor worked. I don't like Tenno Viveka, and if she _was_ involved, I would love to tear her apart inch by bloody inch, but she understood honor."

"Using it against people anyway." Nikis snarled, but then subsided. "Okay. Point taken. Cowardly attack. Next thing? I don't got all day."

"Two: Iriana is not getting any better." Tiana said sadly. "The record that had the most data said that such weapons would cause mental instability in people. But it was the _energy_ causing it, not the injury." An indrawn breath came from Nikis, but she continued. "When she wakes, she is demanding a warframe, Grandmaster. To seek vengeance. They keep her asleep. I don't like denying her a choice, but... she isn't in her right mind."

"Sonofabitch." Nikis sounded awed. "I had forgotten that. Oh shit. She will need help."

"That is the third thing. The record said 'siphon'?" Tiana asked and froze as a black armored toe edged into her vision. It made a motion and she looked up to see the Nekros looking at her.

"Nicely done." Nikis actually _laughed_. "But no record ever said that." Tiana jerked but the Nekros... looked away? "I am not a good man, Tenno Tiana. Never was. Never will be. I don't have many friends. People who will talk back to me. Iriana is one of them. Don't try this with Sun." He warned. "One, he has no sense of humor about some things and it is not always easy to tell _which_ things. Two, he _will_ wring you out just to _do_ it." Tiana didn't dare move and Nikis sighed. "Look, girl. I had forgotten about that. You are right. Iriana needs help. The energy won't fade on its own. Any Tenno can do it but there is a cost."

"I will pay..." Tiana swallowed her words as Nikis snarled at her.

"Shut up!" Nikis snapped. "You have no idea what you are saying. I have lost enough kin already. You don't need to absorb it yourself and doing so will hurt or kill you. You need a specialized energy receptacle. An empty datamass should do. But this is _very_ important." The Nekros warned. "Whatever you, do _not_ touch the datamass after is has the energy in it. It will flow into any Tenno who touches it."

"Then how do we get rid of it?" Tiana asked, confused.

"You will think of something." The Nekros actually bowed _to her_ and vanished.

"What just happened?" Heron sounded as confused as Tiana felt.

"I don't know." Tiana admitted. "Conning Nikis was always a long shot, but..."

" _Who_ is conning _who_ here?"

* * *

Another virtual world

The Nekros shook his head as he shifted into another virtual environment. This one was very familiar. It was also very bare, the only furniture was a bed.

"You are good." Nikis said with glee as he sat on the bed. "I had no idea."

"I couldn't say anything." Janet said weakly as she appeared. Here, she was wearing a robe. Nikis shifted his outer from into a matching robe. "They have to figure it out on their own. Anything I do will cause problems."

"That girl is good." Nikis said as he patted the bed beside himself. Janet sat with a smile. Nikis shook his head as he laid an arm around the Oracle."I _really_ hope she doesn't try to con Sun though. Wouldn't end well."

"I think you scared her enough." Janet smiled to take the sting out of her words. "I... I so wanted to help. To stop it. But... I can't, Nikis." She was crying now as Nikis pulled her close and held her.

"You know who did it." Nikis said softly. Janet nodded. "Me too. She won't take it well."

"Would _you_?" Janet demanded as she snuggled closer to her mate.

"No, but it is out of our hands." Nikis hugged Janet again. "You okay?"

"Better." Janet purred as she stretched against her mate. "But um... Nikis... What you promised Iriana..."

"I told her I would do what I could." Nikis replied easily. "And I will. But I know the line, girl. I don't cross that line." Janet just looked at him and he flushed. "I don't!"

"Well, good." Janet's hands started to roam and her voice became a purr. "Why don't we... cross some _other_ lines?"

"I like the way you think, girl."

* * *

Convent

Tiana was tense, but no one seemed to notice as she connected the last lines to Iriana's skull. The Healer slept on, oblivious. Heron was a hologram nearby. Katerina stood with Janna H-15. The other occupant of the small crowded room spoke up.

"I can do it." Stalker said from where he knelt. Tiana ignored him. "I owe her that." He paused as Tiana looked at him. "What?"

"If you had a way out, a way to be with her, would you take it?" Tiana asked softly.

"Yes." Stalker replied quickly. "But I am trapped in my duty and honor."

"Are you?" The others all looked confused as Tiana spoke, but Stalker just watched her.

"I do still love her." Stalker admitted. "My main loved her with all of his heart. Leaving her was the single hardest thing he ever did. Now? He is just a shell. Burnt out by his hatred and Hunhow's evil."

"If you had the chance, would you take it?" Tiana demanded. "It will cost you. You will not be who you are ever again. But you _can_ be with her. _If_ you so choose."

"I... I can't..." Stalker was actually shaking now. "This is _all_ I am!" He pleaded. "Vengeance is all I _am!_ "

"Then why haven't you left?" Tiana demanded angrily. "The convent's shields won't stop you from _leaving_. I know it. You know it. Why are you still here?"

"I..." Stalker actually seemed to wilt. "I don't know."He said in a tiny voice. Tiana just looked at him and then held out her hand. Stalker stared at it.

"Heron, can you wipe a Tenno's memory? Not the basic stuff like language or personality, but history? Facts? Oaths?" Tiana asked quietly, holding her hand out. The other was on the datamass. Stalker just stared at her, seemingly dumbfounded.

 _Not safely._ Heron said slowly. _Falcon could. She has far more tight control in such matters than I do. But the fewer people who know about this, the better._

"Wipe my memory?" Stalker asked, confused. "But..."

"You will not longer be 'Stalker'." Tiana said with a nod. "You will be someone new."

"Then I won't remember her _love!_ " Stalker protested.

" _She_ will." Tiana promised. "Ask Falcon to join us, Heron. Stalker, can you exit the warframe?"

"I... No." Stalker said weakly. "I can't. It is bonded to me at the molecular level."

"Then we will find another way to reunite you two." Tiana said firmly. "Where there is life, there is hope. The one who was your mate needs our help. Will you help her?" Instead of answering, Stalker took hold of Tiana's hand. It trembled, his hand but his grip was firm. "Heron? Where is Falcon?"

 _I am here._ Falcon appeared beside Tiana, her holographic eyes huge as she took in the scene. _Heron! You jerk! You made me swear and he is_ **here** _?_

 _That is why I made you swear._ Heron sounded smug and Tiana glared at him. He nodded, looking abashed. _Sorry._

 _Why?_ Falcon put a wealth of query into that one word.

"We need to pull harmful energy out of Iriana." Tiana replied. "You are the medical specialist, no?"

 _Okay._ Falcon said a bit dubiously. _Let me see. I, ah, a siphon. Okay. What is this...?_ She seemed to freeze. _This isn't possible. This energy..._

 _What?_ Heron demanded as she turned suddenly streaming eyes at him. _Falcon?_

 _It's_ **Sparrow** _!_


	15. Chapter 15

**A Sparrow's Fall**

"Sparrow?" Tiana asked into the sudden silence that fell. "That is your brother. The one who won't ever wake."

 _The Orokin destroyed him._ Falcon was crying. _He fought them so hard and they destroyed him._

"Why?" Tiana asked softly. "And more importantly, what is his energy doing _here_? In an Orokin _weapon_? Is he... is his mind here?"

 _I... I don't know._ Falcon said weakly. _We need to tell Mom. Heron, what? Heron! Let me_ **go** _!_ She snapped as energy formed around her. It flared brightly but stayed in place. So did she.

"If you tell your mother that _he_ is here..." Tiana nodded to Stalker who hadn't moved and hadn't released her hand. "...it will not end well. For _anyone_. Iriana will die. Falcon, please. Stand down. Let us try to figure this out."

 _I..._ Falcon seemed to slump and the energy around her faded, but not entirely. She focused on Iriana's sleeping face and her transparent face was bleak. _Tenno I... He is my brother. But... it's not him. Not entirely._

"Okay." Tiana nodded. "So... Your brother's energy was used in an Orokin weapon." Stalker hissed and Tiana nodded. "That _is_ the kind of thing they would have done, no?"

"The Orokin?" Stalker queried and Tiana nodded. "Oh yes. They _defined_ vindictive on occasion. If he thwarted them, then yes. They would do everything in their power to hurt him. And yes, they would use anything they could steal from him to further their ends." He shook his head. "Anything at all. They were my people and I have dedicated my life to avenging them, but..." He trailed off.

"I am not here to pass judgment on oaths sworn." Tiana said quietly. "I don't like you or trust you. But you may be her only chance. We need to get the energy out of her."

"If either of us or them..." Stalker nodded to Heron and Falcon. "Touch that energy, we will likely be...infected. Or worse."

 _He is my brother!_ Falcon protested. _He won't hurt me!_

"He _was_ your brother." Stalker retorted evenly. Falcon stared at him and then started to cry. "You said it yourself. It is not his mind. Just part of his vital energy and it is toxic to our kind."

"Okay. Then we need to..." Tiana paused as Janna H-15 stepped forward. "Janna H-15?"

"I am not Tenno." The young clergywoman said firmly. "I am not as vulnerable to such things. I will handle the mass." She bowed to Tiana. Tiana looked at Katerina's transparent form. The ancient Tenno shade looked upset, but she did not speak. She too was vulnerable to such.

"One of us needs to start the flow." Tiana looked at Stalker who nodded. "But..."

"We run the risk of it flowing into us." Stalker agreed. "I will do it." Tiana looked at him and then, quick as a whip, slapped her hands around Iriana's skull. "What? NO! What are you doing?"

Everything stopped as energy flared around Iriana's head. Tiana jerked her hands back. Everyone looked at her and she smiled, shaking her head.

"I am fine. Iriana will need you." Tiana said with a small, sad smile. "Falcon? Can you wipe his memory selectively? Make him forget everything except Iriana?"

 _Maybe._ The holographic girl looked at the red and black warframe like thing. _But if he is stuck in that, it won't help matters._

"Leaving that armor will hurt." Tiana said slowly. Stalker just stared at her. "What?"

"Why did you do that?" Stalker asked slowly. "We are enemies."

"Are we?" Tiana asked. Stalker jerked and then nodded slowly. "Iriana can help if I am infected. But _she_ will need you. What will you do to be with her?"

Stalker just looked at her for a long moment and then he reached for his chest armor. A piece of it was still broken and he grasped both edges of it. A swift yank and the piece came loose. He tossed it away, but he seemed to stagger even kneeling and Tiana shook her head.

"If it is bonded to your flesh, it will hurt you very badly to remove." Tiana said quietly.

"You asked what I would do." Stalker sounded calm. "This." He yanked another piece.

 _Stop._ Heron commanded. _You will kill yourself doing that. There_ is _another way._

"Do we have _time_ to find it?" Stalker demanded. Instead of answering, Heron looked at Tiana who nodded. Stalker stared from one to the other, confused. "What?"

 _You will want to lie down._ Heron said as his holo glided closer to the red and black form. Stalker stared at Heron and then at Tiana who nodded again. He lay down slowly, head swiveling to stare at the holographic boy. _Falcon? Monitor please._

 _As you wish, brother._ Falcon replied, her eyes suddenly glowing with a bluish white light.

Tiana stared as Heron to the floor, his holo shifting from sitting to kneeling beside Stalker. His insubstantial hands came down to touch the red and black frame and then went right through it. His eyes suddenly glowed golden. Stalker hissed and then made a noise of pain.

 _I am sorry._ Heron said sadly. _This will hurt._ _There is no other way to do it._

"Just _do_ it!" Stalker snapped.

Then he screamed. Agony poured out through his voice as pieces of his armor... sloughed off. Falcon's form flared with energy and Stalker's screams muted, but they did continue as his armor fell off. The skin underneath it was ghastly looking. Then it shifted from bloody and torn to pink and clean. Stalker stared down at himself and then at Falcon who smiled a bit shyly. His helmet fell off as his face... Janna H-15 gagged, but it too shifted from a torn and broken visage to an almost human looking face. He was middle aged, not handsome. More rugged. An honest face. Tiana smiled as he raised a hand and stared at it as his signature red armor fell off. His fingers curled and he turned to stare at Heron and Falcon as the rest of his armor vanished. And of course, he wasn't wearing anything under it. Janna H-15 looked away, her face horrified.

"Janna H-15!" Katerina snapped. "A towel! Now!" The girl dashed from the room, her face flaming. Katerina just shook her head. "I almost had her done. She was almost ready to go back up." She sighed.

"Whatever happened to her involved boys, didn't it?" Tiana asked. Katerina nodded, a sour expression on her face. "I...assume it was consensual?"

"It was." Katerina shook her head. "It was also fairly _public_." Tiana's eyes went huge at that and Katerina nodded. "She and her paramour _thought_ they were hidden behind a partition. It was a one way _mirror_."

"Ouch." Stalker actually laughed at that and Tiana smiled widely. "I don't feel any different." He said to the room. Tiana looked at him and then at Falcon who nodded.

 _You will._ Falcon looked a bit worried, but proud of what she and Heron had done. _You won't be as strong or as fast. You won't heal as swiftly. I... I can wipe your memory, but..._

"Will Iriana accept me?" Stalker -no, the being who _had_ been Stalker- mused. "I was a monster."

"Towel!" Janna H-15 called from outside the room. Tiana rose and walked to the door where the girl stood, pointedly not looking into the room. "I will stay out here. The... I need to..." She gave a squeak as Tiana pulled her into an embrace. "Wha-?"

"Do not ever apologize for feeling, Janna H-15." Tiana said gently. "If you break rules _because_ of feelings, then you will be punished. But feelings should not be illegal."

"Feelings that do not serve the machine are illegal in the Corpus." Janna H-15 said with a grimace as she gently returned the embrace. Then she slid out of it and held out the towel to Tiana. "I will remain out here. The... I need to stay away from him until he is clothed. I will see what we have in the way of garments that might fit him." Before Tiana could ask why, she vanished.

Tiana stared after the girl for a moment and then she shook her head and entered the room. "What should I call you?" She asked the man on the floor as she handed him the towel and he wrapped it around himself.

"Iriana called me 'Kat'." The man said softly. Looking around at the three holograms and then at Iriana. "That will do." He took a deep breath and then let it out in a whoosh. "I am ready, Falcon."

 _You are very brave._ Falcon said quietly as she moved closer.

"I am very _scared_." The one now called 'Kat' corrected her gently. "But Iriana needs me. What will I remember?"

 _Nothing._ Falcon said sadly. _I cannot selectively wipe. I thought I could, but your mind is fragmented already. You will need help to recover. To assume a normal life._

"I won't remember my hate." Kat asked. Falcon shook her head with a smile. "Then whatever harm you may accidentally do, Falcon... You do me a service. Should I move to another room?" He asked Tiana who pursed her lips and looked at Katerina.

"I would say 'No'." Katerina said softly. "She needs to know instantly that you were instrumental in helping her."

Everything stopped as Iriana groaned. Kat looked terrified, but Tiana moved to the bedside. She nodded to Falcon who laid insubstantial hands on Kat's head. The male Tenno's eyes immediately closed.

"Iriana?" Tiana asked quietly. "Can you hear me?"

"Tiana?" The Healer sounded awful, her voice scratchy. "What happened? I was... Karl died. I felt it and... Ah..."

"You were struck by an ancient Orokin assassination weapon." Tiana said as gently as she could. "The same one that killed Karl. The energy of the weapon hurt you, badly. No one knew how to help you. So, we enlisted some allies." She laid a hand on Iriana's and the Healer gave her hand a squeeze. "Can you open your eyes?" Tiana smiled as Iriana's eyes cracked open and then focused on her. "Good to see you, Healer. We have missed you."

"I was so angry." Iriana was bemused. "And now I am not. It was imposed?"

 _It was a residue of my brother._ Falcon was crying softly. Iriana turned to stare at her and nearly jumped out of the bed as she saw what Falcon was doing. Falcon nodded to Kat's still form. _He helped but he will not remember anything now._

"Why would he help?" Iriana asked, confusion warring with fear.

"We didn't give him a choice." Tiana said with a smile that Iriana returned a little hesitantly. "But... there is another reason. He won't remember, Iriana." Iriana stared at the other corporeal Tenno and then her eyes went huge. " _Anything_."

"But..." Iriana shook her head. "You cannot be sure."

 _I can, Healer Iriana._ Falcon reassured her. _I have power, but not many uses for my power. I don't like hurting people._ Iriana stared at the holographic Tenno girl and her face softened.

"Okay." Iriana lay back on the bed. "So...what is happening?"

"What _isn't_?" Everyone in the room chorused and Iriana smiled.

* * *

An hour later

"So... the attack might not have been for me." Iriana mused as she ate slowly and carefully. Falcon was still working on Kat, but everyone else had adjourned to a larger room. Tiana sat beside the healer. Heron sat in a holographic chair nearby. Katerina and Janna H-15 stood by one wall.

"At this point, we cannot assume anything." Tiana said firmly. Iriana nodded. "Whoever did it hurt you and killed Karl. That is why my clan and others are hunting. I was focused on healing and getting you healed."

"Thank you for that." Iriana shook her head. "I remember..." She frowned. "I was so angry. I said lot of things." She looked at Katerina and Janna H-15. "I am sorry for what I said."

"We took no offense, Healer." Katerina spoke for both. Janna H-15 looked a bit green still and Tiana wondered what had been done to her. But it wasn't polite to inquire. "You were not in your right mind. I am glad you are feeling better."

"Well, now we have a mess to clean up." Iriana finished her meal and sat back. Janna H-15 darted forward to take her tray, but froze as Iriana laid a hand on hers. "What is wrong with you, girl?"

Janna H-15 shook her head savagely and ran out of the room, tray in hand. Iriana stared after her and then at Katerina who seemed to slump a little.

"She embarrassed herself publically." The ancient Tenno shade shook her head. "She was punished for it and... took the punishment badly. We didn't hurt her, but she wanted to escape the embarrassment. No one expected her to do what she did."

"Oh no..." Iriana looked horrified. Katerina nodded. Tiana and Heron looked confused and Iriana grimaced. "I had a teenage daughter." She paused as Tiana and Katerina both spoke as one.

"You still have her." The two female Tenno, the ancient shade and the much younger one stared at each other and smiled as Iriana shook her head.

"What did she do?" Iriana asked. "She didn't succeed, obviously." Tiana and Heron shared an confused look and Iriana explained. "Teenagers, be they human or Tenno, are a mess. Tenno have the advantage of our training, but it doesn't always help with bodies changing sometimes on a daily basis. She tried to kill herself."

"She _succeeded_." Katerina said softly. "We brought her _back_ , but she was slow to recover and what she took may have sterilized her. We don't know yet. Here is as much a refuge as a punishment. Being around males makes her physically ill and will for some time. Pheromones do that."

" _Human_ males." Iriana said slowly. Katerina looked at her and Iriana shook her head. "For later. For now? We need to focus on the mess. A bomb." She made a face. "Really?"

"A very cowardly attack." Tiana agreed. "Which makes me wonder if _Karl_ might have been the intended target? No one sane wanted to fight him hand to hand."

"No." Iriana said after a moment. "I remember some of the feelings. That energy was keyed to me. It bypassed my defenses as if they were not there. Then it was all pain and fury."

 _Sparrow was all pain and fury the last few times we could converse with him._ Heron said sadly. _Then one day, he simply did not wake._

"But his body lives." Iriana asked and Heron nodded. "Okay, then we have a place to start. But... I may need to examine his body."

 _I do not know where we are._ Heron sounded worried. _The Lotus hasn't said. I know it is a ship and I can feel the Void around us, so... in the Void. But beyond that?_

"Tight security. So we need to ask the Lotus." Iriana stated. Everyone looked at her and she shrugged. "When in doubt, go straight to the top. We do not have time to dither." Her gaze went far away and Katerina recoiled as a hologram of the Lotus appeared beside Iriana. The masked woman was smiling.

"Hello Iriana." The Lotus said quietly. "From the feel of your mind, you are calmer."

"The energy for the weapon came from one of your children." Iriana said without preamble. The Lotus froze and Iriana continued. "What happened to the one called Sparrow?"

"They destroyed his mind." The Lotus's voice held old pain, old fear, old rage. "By the time I got to him, there was nothing left but the shell. Iriana, are you sure?"

"Falcon is." Iriana said with a nod. "I will take her word for it." The Lotus looked at her and the Healer grimaced. "I wasn't rational about your children, Lotus. I owe them all an apology. I owe you one too."

"Iriana..." The Lotus reassured her gently.

"No, Lotus." Iriana said firmly. "I ignored pain in beings because they made me uncomfortable. Because they scared me." She shook her head savagely. "That isn't right. And for what you tried to do with Stalker? Thank you."

"I failed." The Lotus said sadly.

"No, you didn't." Iriana had a smile on her face as the Lotus' jaw dropped. "I am not saying it will work. But the being you had... his mind has been erased. That was what you had in mind, no?"

"Probabilities said it was the best alternative." The Lotus said weakly. "You..." She paused and turned to look at Tiana who put an innocent look on her face. Then the blue garbed woman turned to look at Katerina who turned to scrutinize the wall. It would have gone better if she hadn't started whistling something. The Lotus shook her head. "I see." Then she _laughed_ , a merry tinkling sound. "That copy is gone. And you never lied to me. _Nicely_ done _._ "

"Hunhow may try to strike at her." Katerina's face turned sober. "Especially if he realizes what happened."

" _Let him._ " Tiana, Iriana _and_ the Lotus all chorused. All three nodded to each other.

"Now..." Tiana frowned. "We need to figure out who attacked Iriana. And why they did it. The how?" She gave herself a shake. " _I_ owe Oracle Janet an apology. I was rather rude to her when she tried to explain. Tried to get my help."

"I bet she knows." The Lotus had a satisfied smile on her face now. "She does play a very long game, better than almost anyone else I have ever met. But there are strict limits on what she can share. What did Janet say?"

"A human was controlled." Tiana could not resist a shiver. She saw Iriana do the same. "He walked in, was scanned and passed."

"That definitely sounds like an Orokin." The Lotus said slowly. "They had that down to an evil art. The Executors in particular were notorious for..." She broke off and her face became set in a thin line.

"Lotus..." Iriana said slowly. "Correct me if I am wrong, history was never my best subject. But... This is how an Orokin Executor would go about assassinating someone they couldn't bring and execute in person, isn't it?"

"Yes."


	16. Chapter 16

**History**

"What was an Executor?" Tiana asked after the hubbub had died down.

Both Heron and Falcon had _not_ reacted well to the idea of one of the Orokin who had killed their first mother still being around. Heron was angry. Falcon was _terrified_. The Lotus had spent time calming both of them and now, both seemed reasonably calm. Sort of.

 _Monsters._ Heron's tone was flat. _Everyone feared them._ The Lotus laid a transparent hand on his holographic arm and he relaxed. Falcon would not pull her face out of her hands. She wasn't crying now, thank goodness. She was clearly traumatized by the mere mention of the ancient Orokin leaders.

"Not originally." Katerina said softly. Tiana looked at her and the shade's face was pensive. "Originally, it was planned that the Council of Executors was to be part of the legislative branch of government. A Council of Commons was also put in place, but they were quickly marginalized. If there was one thing that humans have _always_ been good at, it is find a way to exploit the rules for their own benefit. Eventually, only two sources of power had any say at all in government. The Emperor and the Executors. Makes me very glad I was Tenno."

"But what _were_ they?" Tiana pressed. "Why were they so feared?"

"Think the Corpus Board of Directors and increase their power by about two hundred percent. Then _decrease_ their self restraint by about the same factor." Katerina said quietly. Tiana stared at the shade and then at the Lotus who nodded, her visible face stern. "One major reason the Clergy was founded in the first place was to keep the Corpus from going that way. Despite the efforts of many of the Board over the years, so far we have succeeded. As bad as the Corpus today _are_ , they are not a _patch_ on the Executors."

"That bad?" Tiana felt faint.

"Worse." The Lotus was calm. Sort of. It was more... focused? Tiana got the feeling that if the Lotus discovered a target, she would act just as swiftly and mercilessly as _Nikis_ might. Then again, she _did_ have cause for anger. "There was no oversight. No one to curb them. They had access to any and all technology available to Orokin. They were the judges, the juries and the executioners. They had the ability to justify _any_ personal perversions they wanted. They were the Law. The only time _anyone_ was allowed to curb them was if one was caught _red handed_ in _high treason_ and even _then_... Only the Emperor himself. Sometimes they got away with it anyway. There was a great deal of speculation that they were involved in the events leading up to the Collapse. They definitely were in the release of the Infested. But I had personal reasons to hate them." Tiana stared at the guide of the Tenno and paled. The Lotus nodded. "Yes, Tenno Tiana. They are the ones who hurt my children. There was no legal recourse. They _were_ the Law. So I took matters into my own hands."

"And good for you." Iriana said mildly from where she sat beside Falcon's transparent form. She couldn't touch Falcon, but she was offering support her way. "Falcon, we won't let them hurt you again." She promised.

 _You can't stop them!_ Falcon cried, still not taking her head from her hands. _You don't know what they were like. They were...they... I..._ Tiana froze.

"Lotus... Did they...do things to Falcon?" Tiana swallowed hard as the Lotus bowed her head. "No! Falcon! I..."

 _They took me. They hurt me. They stuck things in me. They made me heal Hawk as she screamed and cried._ Falcon sounded abject now. _I couldn't_ **do** _anything!_

"Well, now you can." Tiana felt an overpowering calm descend upon her as Falcon raised streaming eyes to stare at her suddenly changed tone. Tiana knew what it was. It felt familiar. She had only felt it once, but it had been very memorable. Iriana, Falcon, Heron and Lotus all stared. "I didn't understand. Now I do." She smiled as she rose and strode to where Falcon sat, staring at her. She knelt beside the hologram. "'Dream not of what you are..." She quoted. "...'but of what you want to be.'"

Lotus stared as both Heron and Falcon went still. "What?"

 _Margulis' words. That... I..._ Falcon swallowed hard. _I can't._

"Yes, you can, Falcon." Tiana reassured her. "Because in this? You are not alone." She held out a hand to Falcon who stared at her.

"Tiana! Don't!" The Lotus begged, but Iriana smiled and took hold of Tiana's hand. She gave a squeeze and released it.

"Falcon is not a Warrior, Lotus." Iriana said mildly. "It is her choice, not yours. Kindly butt out." Falcon stared at the Healer and then at the Lotus. Then she focused on Tiana's hand.

 _I will hurt you._ Falcon said weakly. _I did before._

"Not this time, Falcon." Tiana was still calm. "Because _I_ am not alone. I need to talk to them all, Lotus. As soon as possible."

"Tenno Tiana..." The Lotus said slowly. "I..." She bowed her head. "This will hurt them."

"Change always hurts." Tiana replied. "But this needs to be done. I stand with you and _for_ you, Falcon. And I am not alone. Come with me, Sister. Ride the whirlwind."

 _I..._ Falcon was gaping now, but then her mouth shut with a click. _I am unworthy._

"That is what we are here to determine, Sister." Tiana did not lower her hand. "But no matter what. Pass or fail... You will _always_ be my sister. Come." Falcon held out her hand and it touched Tiana's and...gripped. Energy flared around them both and Tiana was flying, a trembling hand in hers. As she flew, she spoke. "I am sorry I was so dense. That it took me so long to figure out."

"No one is wise all the time." A strong male voice sounded from beside them and Falcon gave a squeak as another form simply appeared flying beside them. The dark haired man's face was sad. No. He wasn't human! _The First Tenno!_ "Not even me." He reached out to take Falcon's other hand. "This will hurt you sister and for that I am sorry."

"I don't feel worthy." Here, in this place, Falcon's voice sounded aloud. Or something.

"No one does." Hayden Tenno said gently. "If they _do_ , they are _not_. The less worthy they feel, the more worthy they _are_. Right Tiana?"

"I wouldn't know, First Tenno." Tiana demurred. Hayden just looked at her. "I just...still feel as if I don't really belong at times."

"Me too." The original Tenno replied. Tiana and Falcon both goggled at him and he smiled. "Sister, you will face your fears. You will face your weaknesses and you will face yourself. Not necessarily in that order. But... we had to make some compromises."

"I... What?" Falcon swallowed hard as they landed on something that was obscured by silver mist.

"You observed our training, but you did not participate. You could not." Hayden said gently as he eased Falcon down to a kneeling position with Tiana's help. "There was nothing else you could have done, so even the ultra-traditionalists have finally shut up. Point is, you cannot face this alone. And you do not _have_ to. Tenno Tiana, you may choose one other to stand with our sister." Hayden said firmly. "Choose wisely." Tiana did not hesitate.

"Mag." Hayden and Falcon both stared at her and Tiana shrugged. "Falcon needs some confidence. Who has more than any _four_ Tenno _should_?"

"Mag is _not_ the gentlest of souls." Hayden warned. Tiana knelt beside Falcon and bowed her head. "Okay, okay... don't say I didn't try to warn you." Another form appeared nearby, a Mag Prime warframe was striding toward them. She nodded to Hayden who vanished.

"Falcon." Mag knelt in front of the girl. "I won't hurt you unless you deserve it. Okay?"

"Okay." Falcon bowed formally to the First Mag. "I know this isn't how things were done. That things are off." She paused as Mag reached out to tap her lips.

"Every Trial is different as every Tenno is different." Mag was calm, sure and Falcon relaxed. "You will scream. You will cry. You will hate me -us-..." She nodded to Tiana who nodded back. "But we will get you through this."

"I am afraid." Falcon said weakly. "Some Tenno, huh? Weepy and weak."

"Some fear is understandable. What you are about to be doing is not sane. If you were weak, you would be dead." Mag was still calm. "You would have been consumed by your power and gone in a heartbeat. You are not weak. You just need to see it for yourself. Come with me sister. Face your fear." She took Falcon's hand and the pair vanished.

"Heron." Tiana did not have long to wait. Heron appeared, staring wildly around.

"Tenno Tiana, what...?" Heron pleaded. Tiana indicated a spot before her and Heron knelt quickly.

"You stand to the Trial of Tenno." Tiana said formally. "But you do not stand alone. Our kin stand with and for you as I do. One will accompany you into your darkest fears, your best hidden weaknesses. That one will work to help you see yourself as you truly are. Only then can you be what you wish."

"I am not worthy." Heron said softly, scared.

" _We_ are the judge of that." Tiana replied. "Loki." A form appeared out of the mists and strode towards them. The horns proclaimed a Loki Prime warframe. The First Loki. "Heron, you need to learn to _cheat_. He will teach you how to and _when_ to." Loki bowed to Tiana and took hold of Heron's hand. They both vanished.

"Osprey..."

* * *

Twenty virtual minutes later

Tiana sighed as Owl vanished with the First Rhino. Not all problems could be dealt with via brainpower and the First Rhino -while incredibly intelligent- knew this. Falcon with Mag, Heron with Loki, Osprey with Mirage, Raven with Ember, Eagle with Excalibur, Owl with Rhino. Only one left.

"Hawk." Tiana said quietly and the girl appeared before her, face alight with both curiosity and trepidation. "Last chance to back out."

"Yeah, right." Hawk retorted. She stilled as Tiana rose. "What?"

"You need someone to guide you as you face your fears, your weaknesses and yourself." Tiana replied. "That someone is _me_."

"I will hurt you." Hawk said slowly, not moving.

"No, you won't." Tiana replied evenly. "Your powers are disabled here." Hawk jerked and Tiana closed the distance easily. "You can back out any time. But you _won't_." Tiana said firmly as she held out a hand to Hawk who eyed it. "You see, I understand you, Hawk. Better than you might think. You grew up surrounded by bullies. People who preyed on anyone weaker than themselves. Your kin are who they are because someone stood between them and the bullies. Someone who took hurts piled on hurts. Someone who forced Owl to sit in one place long enough to study. Someone who sat with Falcon after she had been violated. Someone who failed four of her kin and to this day regrets that."

"You don't know me!" Hawk snapped, retreating a step.

"You are wrong, Hawk." Tiana said sadly. "I had a hundred and ninety nine sisters. Now I am alone. I watched as they were dissected. Some alive. As they were..." She looked away. "Regor did the same things that the Orokin did to you to some of mine. He wanted to find out why we were all sterile. He couldn't."

" _YOU DON'T KNOW ME!_ " Hawk screamed.

"You will be surprised what she knows." A soft, gentle voice sounded form nearby and Hawk spun to see a Nyx Prime warframe appear out of the mists. The First Nyx nodded to Tiana as she strode to where Hawk stood frozen. "Tiana was never -quite- right in a Mirage warframe. It wasn't who she really was. It saved her life, so she adapted. But it wasn't who she was."

"Nyx..." Hawk stared as Nyx slowly reached out to touch her arm. "No..." She begged.

"You cannot hurt me or her here, Hawk." Nyx took hold of Hawk's arm and pulled the trembling girl close to where Tiana stood waiting. "You can hurt yourself, but that is all. We are here to keep that from happening."

"I don't want this!" Hawk froze as the words left her mouth. "I..."

"You think I _did_?" Tiana asked as she took Hawk's other arm. "Hawk, life doesn't _care_ what we want. Never did, never will. I didn't know what I wanted. But Hawk... You are not alone in this. I faced it alone, but you don't have to."

"I..." Hawk slumped a bit and chuckled. "You two... Gentle but rock hard, the _both_ of you." Tiana and Nyx both shrugged. She looked at Nyx who indicated Tiana. "What do I do?" She asked Tiana softly.

"Get ready for hell." Then they were away.

* * *

The Convent

Iriana sat, staring at Tiana's still form as it knelt. There was nothing more she could do to help. The Lotus smiled at her and vanished. Katerina smiled a bit sadly.

"They will do well." The ancient shade said calmly. "All they lack now is firsthand experience and the confidence to use their powers responsibly."

"I will worry." Iriana said with a grin that Katerina shared. Said grin faded. "What happened to Janna H-15? Mishka told me that she had been sick. But she never discovered how or why." Katerina raised a hand for a moment and then nodded.

"Janna H-15 is in the chapel praying." Katerina was staring off into space. "She will be there for an hour or so. Red Veil took her family in a raid. She was taken along with her mother and father." Iriana stared and her face slowly paled. "Yes. They wanted recruits. The Clergy went after them, recovered her and three other children. No one else survived what the Red Veil did. The other kids... didn't live long. Corpus brainwashing is pervasive as you well know. But they generally know what they are doing. The Red Veil don't." Katerina sighed. "She doesn't remember her time in that hellish place. She doesn't remember what happened to her father and mother and we have worked hard to keep her from remembering."

"She will." Iriana said quietly. "And probably at the worst possible time." She looked at the floor. "I would like to help if I can."

"We were pleased when she found a boyfriend, but then it all went wrong." Katerina continued. "She doesn't fit with the Corpus anymore. She is not a happy cog in the machine. She cannot even be an agent of the Clergy because of what those blasted terrorists did to her. She tries."

"What if... she found some other way?" Iriana mused. Katerina looked at her and Iriana nodded. "I can help her, but it _won't_ be fast. Has anyone tried to help her?"

"She has been put up for adoption three times and each time, the family interviewed her and decided they didn't want damaged goods." Katerina's voice was calm, but her eyes were flashing with suppressed anger.

"Damaged goods?" Iriana asked. Then she shook her head. "Call her." Katerina looked at her and nodded.

A few minutes later, Janna H-15 called from outside the door. "Lady Katerina? Healer Iriana?"

"You don't have to call me 'Lady', Janna H-15." Katerina said sourly. "Come in. Tiana is busy and will be for a time. But Iriana wants to talk to you." The girl stepped in, her face anxious.

"Janna H-15. Relax." Iriana said gently. "I don't bite." She paused. "At least... I hope I didn't bite you while I was incoherent."

"No, Ma'am." Janna H-15 stood stiffly in front of Iriana as the Healer looked her over. "I... Ma'am?" She asked as Iriana stood and strode to where Janna H-15 stood.

"Mishka said you were kind to her." Iriana guided Janna H-15 to a chair, sat the girl down and then sat beside her. "Thank you for that."

"She was kind to me." Janna H-15 was sitting so stiffly that Iriana worried she would break a bone if she fell over. "I am glad she survived. Is she okay?"

"For certain values of 'okay', yes." Iriana said with a grin that Janna H-15 slowly shared. "She has a job now. A hard job, but she is dedicated to it and she is studying everything she can."

"I hope she is still singing." Janna H-15 replied, relaxing a little.

"Like she will ever _stop_?" Iriana chuckled and Janna H-15 relaxed further. She tensed as Iriana took her right hand on both of hers. "You are a mess, girl."

"I didn't mean to!" Janna H-15 said weakly. "I didn't mean to make a mess. I didn't think... I..." She broke off as Iriana pulled her close and held her. "No... I..."

"Being alone sucks." Iriana said softly as she brushed Janna H-15's short hair. The girl eased her head down to Iriana's shoulder at the Healer's gentle insistence and she was crying softly. "I know that better than many. You know... I could use some help. Interested in a job?"

"What kind of job?" Janna H-15 asked, confused. But she was still relaxed.

"I have a position available for an adopted daughter." Iriana said gently. Janna H-15 stilled and Iriana hugged her gently. "I know how badly you are hurt. Helping people heal is what I do. Maybe I can help you, maybe I can't. But I want to _try_."

"I was going to join the Clergy but they cannot trust me." Janna H-15 was sobbing now as Iriana held her. "I mess up everything I do!"

"We will have to work on that." Iriana said gently. "But what do you say? Willing to give an old Healer a chance?"

"You cannot trust me." Janna H-15 protested.

"Trust must be earned." Iriana retorted, still soothing the girl. "And before you ask, no. You will not become Tenno. Not for long, long time, if ever. Thing is, you don't have to. And if you cannot stand me for whatever reason, I know some others who would love to take you in, try to help." She stilled as power flared nearby. She hissed as she recognized it. "Janna H-15! Get behind me! Katerina, call for help!" She shoved Janna H-15 behind her as a golden portal appeared on one wall and two forms in warframes strode out. A Chroma and an _Ivara!_

"You will come with us, Healer." Viveka said firmly, the Artemis Bow in her hand aimed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Villainy**

"No."

Iriana kept her voice calm, she _also_ kept herself between Janna H-15 and the Ivara warframe. The Chroma hadn't moved at all. "So now you shoot me? The bomb wasn't enough, so you do it _personally_ this time?"

The room wasn't that large, but it was larger than any of the sleeping areas she had seen. Tiana's form knelt in the middle of the floor and no one paid it any mind. Both warframes seemed oddly furtive. Then the Ivara gave herself a shake.

"We do not have time to screw around!" Viveka snapped. "Move now! Or we _will_ move you."

"You are very rude, girl. If you were mine, I would turn you over my knee." Iriana sat in her chair, still careful to keep herself between the Ivara and the human girl. "Janna H-15, please don't listen to this." The girl stared from the weapon aimed at her to Iriana, her face slack. She reached up slowly and put her fingers in her ears. Iriana smiled at her and then turned a vicious smile on Viveka. "For the first time in my _life_ , I am going to quote _Nikis_." Her voice turned flat. "'Fuck off.'"

"You want me to kill that brat?" Viveka demanded, her bow charging. "I will."

"I want you to go away and leave me alone." Iriana snapped right back. "You killed Karl."

"We didn't do that, Healer." The Chroma spoke for the first time. His voice was deep, calm. "The Rising didn't do that."

"I _do_ hope you don't mind that I don't take your word for that, fanatic." Iriana retorted. "I am not going _anywhere_ with you." She said to Viveka. "And if that weapon discharges, I will _die_ before I let you move me."

" _We do not have time for this!_ " Viveka screamed. She froze as the golden portal behind her...winked out.

"You are right." Iriana said with a smile as she looked past them to the door that was opening. "You don't. Morons. Ever hear the term 'trap'?" The sound of two safeties disengaging was loud in the room as Iriana smiled past Viveka who froze. "Hello Nikis."

"Healer." The Grandmaster of the Dead sounded calm as he entered the room. Both pistols were aimed and at this range, he _wasn't_ going to miss his targets. The helmets of the two intruding warframes. "You look better." At the sound of his voice, Viveka slowly lowered her bow and it vanished.

"I feel better." The Healer said with a sigh. "Should have known you would use me as bait. And no, I am not even angry about it. Get these fools out of here. They are scaring one I am trying to help. Not to mention they are polluting a sacred place."

"Can't have that." Nikis sounded gleeful now. "We have been looking to talk to you two, Sun and I." The Chroma jerked but Viveka was still, so still. "What is it gonna be, brat?" He demanded of Viveka who hadn't move at all. "Try one of your tricks?"

"It wasn't us, we are being set up." The Chroma said flatly.

"I don't care." Nikis retorted. "If you are innocent, Sun will determine that. If not? We toss you to Karl's clan to settle the feud. Either way, you are done. Dead or alive, you are coming with me."

"Grandmaster." The Chroma said slowly. "We have no quarrel with you _or_ the Healer. But you know as well as we do that there will be no justice for us."

"Justice is subjective, boy." Nikis snapped. "What is just for one won't be just for another. For you scum, it is 'just' to kill people who cannot fight back. You would have started a firefight in that Relay. Tiana stopped you, but you would have slaughtered them all and _gladly_." The Chroma slumped a bit. Viveka was still, so still.

"Not gladly, Grandmaster." The Chroma said softly. He turned to the Healer and bowed. "For the intrusion, you have my apology, Healer."

"Get _out_!" Iriana snapped. Janna trembled in her hands and Iriana soothed the girl as best she could. "You threaten one I want to adopt, you dumb fanatic!" She said to Viveka who recoiled a little before catching herself. "Whatever you want with me, you can go screw yourselves! I won't help you."

"We are trying to save your life, Healer." The Chroma said sadly. "And doing a rotten job of it. You are still a target and if _we_ can find you, the _other_ can too. I... _No!_ Viveka! Don't!"

Iriana didn't think, she simply reacted as Viveka jumped to the side. The Chroma seemed to split. No, he had dropped his Effigy! Nikis retreated from a gout of energy and the Chroma turned to the Healer but... Viveka had her bow in hand again and was drawing an arrow! Iriana grabbed Janna H-15 and curled into a ball around the screaming girl as the world went black.

* * *

Some time later

"What the hell did you _do?_ " An angry voice brought Iriana back to consciousness. Iriana quailed, but she felt a small form still curled inside her arms. She could feel Janna H-15 heart thumping in her chest. The girl was still alive. "You were just supposed to _get_ her, not _shoot_ her!"

She couldn't move, couldn't see. Some form of restraint. Not energy based. Physical.

"We didn't have time to pussyfoot around." Viveka snapped. "She is alive. Get rid of the human and we can start on her."

" _Shut up_ , Viveka." The Chroma sounded furious. "We could have explained, he wasn't shooting. He was _listening_. He could have come in _blasting_ and you know it. They are tracking us. Put it away, Viveka. If you kill that human, the Healer will resist and we will all _die_."

"You are weak, Shaun. Just off the puling brat and be done with it." Iriana felt fear at the cold matter of fact tone from the Ivara. "We only need _her_."

"We need her alive, aware and _listening_ to us. Working with us." The Chroma -Shaun- retorted. "And if you kill one she is protecting, you better _hope_ Nikis kills you. I _bet_ the Healer won't be as kind and gentle as Nikis and Sun would be." Considering that neither of those two were kind and gentle at _all_ to enemies...

"I may not kill..." Iriana's soft words silenced everything. "But I will _not_ help you."

"You say that now. We can change your mind with a bit of-" Viveka's voice held menace, but then she gasped. "Shaun, let go!"

"You have done _enough_. Move!" The Chroma was in no mood for arguments and the struggle was brief. The sounds of the two arguing faded with the hiss of a door.

"Healer?" The first voice -a female- sounded worried. "How do you feel?" Janna H-15 went still in Iriana's arms. She had been trying to move. Now she was frozen? Terrified? She was trembling as if in fear. From the voice? What?

"Feel?" Iriana demanded. "Like I got _shot_ by a moron and _kidnapped_ by the same! How am I _supposed_ to feel?"

"Good point." The female said with the ghost of a chuckle. "We cannot release you. Not safely. If you see where you are, I bet you will call the fires of hell down on us." Iriana did not respond and the voice sighed. "Can I try again? My name is Gillie. I am what passes for a medical professional here."

"Rising." Irina snarled.

"Yes." Gillie said sadly. "We are what we are, Healer. We do what has to be done."

"No, you do what you _want!_ " Iriana retorted sharply. "You will kill as many innocents as it takes to kill one guilty party. Whatever they are guilty of in your eyes. I won't help you."

"Well, _we_ are trying to help _you_." The other replied, her tone resigned. "The resin is permeable so neither of you will suffocate. But we cannot release you yet." She paused as Janna H-15 started to jerk. "What? Child, relax! We cannot release you."

"Damnit!" Iriana snapped. "She is panicking! Let me touch her head."

"Healer..." The other said in warning.

"If it is a resin we are encased in, then you can selectively melt parts of it." Iriana snapped as Janna H-15 continued to thrash impotently. "Just the hands and just enough I can touch her head. I can calm her!"

She was about to start screaming at the other when her hands were suddenly freed. She couldn't move them far, but she could feel skull and hair under her fingers as something wrapped over her hands and Janna's head. She couldn't move anything else, couldn't see. But she could do what she did. Mentally link to another. It wasn't as easy without her gear, but she was a past mistress at such.

 _Janna... Janna H-15..._ Iriana projected into the other's mind. _Calm down. I am here._ The raw terror in the other's mind shook the healer and she took a moment to compose herself before she tried again. _Janna... Janna H-15. Please calm down. You will hurt yourself. Please. Don't._

 _Healer?_ Janna H-15's mind touch was a trembling, flighty thing. Iriana pulled the girl's mind close and held her tight, soothing her fear with mental gentleness. Janna H-15 held tight to her mind, clinging almost painfully, but Iriana let her. _I... That voice... I know her. But I don't know from_ **where** _. She is lying. She hurt me. I... I don't know where. I can't remember._

 _You know her._ Iriana mused. _Oh dear..._

Pieces started to fall together. A Red Veil offshoot. People who had been more extreme than even the extremists. A girl who had been rescued from the Red Veil. Who had been 'adjusted' by the same. The Rising's attacks had made little sense. They had been ruthless but random. Several Grineer settlements had been obliterated in their entirety, including slaves and prisoners as well as clones. An infested Hive had been nuked. The Corpus has lost several outposts and data had been very sketchy. Now? An attack on Iriana that had claimed a popular Tenno clan leader instead. But some things that hadn't made sense did now. If this person _was_ the one who had warped Janna and others...

"Sneaky. Convoluted. Many distractions from the ultimate goal." Iriana said aloud as Janna H-15 cried in her mind. "Was I actually going to die from it?"

"What are you talking about?" The other asked. Iriana felt movement. Whatever she was encased in was being moved.

"Looking back, I felt the energy hit me. It _should_ have killed me." Iriana said softly. "Even diluted by another Tenno in the way, such power _should_ have killed me. It didn't. Was that the plan all along? Fake my death so that you can subvert me?"

"Healer, you are not making any sense." The other complained. "We will have you out of that resin in a bit, but we will have to keep you restrained. The girl... We will send her home."

"To her parents who you killed." Iriana mused. Janna H-15's mind inside hers gave a startled squeak and Iriana soothed her. "I won't allow it." The other voice was silent. "Why me?" She asked. "Why subvert _me_? Why not an Elder or a clan leader?"

The familiar feel of a portal went off around her and Iriana felt Janna's panic. She soothed the girl again and Janna relaxed.

"You have it the wrong way around, Healer." The one who called herself Gillie said quietly. "I am not going to subvert you. I am going to _free_ you."

"From free will." Iriana retorted. "Some freedom. And if I refuse?"

"Look, Healer..." Gillie said sadly. "The demons got their hooks into you. I know it. I can sense their influence. This won't be fun, but I can help." She sighed. "The girl... I do remember her. Jenna? Jinna?" Janna was sobbing in Iriana's mind as the resin around them softened, but not enough for Iriana to break loose. Instead, Janna's body was pulled out of her grip despite her tightening her fingers. "No. _Janna_." The other said with a satisfied sound. "We didn't get to finish before those interfering Clergy busybodies stormed the place and ruined so much."

"Hard to blame them when you are killing their people." Iriana retorted. Whatever was holding her was shifting, moving her around. Despite her struggles, she could not resist as it laid her out flat. She held tight to Janna's mind and the girl held to her mind as if a lifeline.

"The Corpus have such potential, but they are so blinded by their religion." Gillie replied. "Religion is always a hindrance to the pursuit of knowledge."

"You might as well say 'The pursuit of power'." Iriana countered. "Because that is what you seek. Not knowledge."

"You _really_ think I seek power for its _own_ sake?" The other sounded somewhere between amused and sad now."That I am cruel simply to _be_ that way? Ah, Healer..." The other sounded totally sad, now. "I do what I do because _someone_ has to. Humanity has proven again and again that it cannot be trusted to guide itself."

"Along the path _you_ want to go." Iriana countered. "And at the _rate_ you want it to go." She jerked as pain slammed into her from Janna H-15. "What... What are you _doing_?"

"Healer!" Gillie sounded upset now. "What have you _done_? Release her! I am trying to help her! To finish what we started."

"You... are trying to enslave her!" Iriana screamed as agony poured into her. She held it away from Janna's mind through sheer force of will. Janna H-15 was trying to help, but the girl didn't have the knowledge or the power. " _NEVER!_ "

Then the pain came in waves and all she could do was ride it.

* * *

An indeterminate time later

It came as a shock when the pain ended. Janna H-15 was crying in Iriana's mind, but she wasn't in pain.

"Idiot." Gillie was angry now. "You nearly killed yourself. For a baseborn human? She is the lowest of the low, not even worth your consideration."

"And _there_ is the difference between us, Executor!" Iriana screamed. The sudden silence was palpable. "Yes, I know _what_ you are. What you _were_. I am _not_ like you. I will _never_ be like you. I _heal!_ I do not hurt people because I _can_ or I believe they are _lesser_ than me. I will never serve you. Never!"

"Well reasoned." Gillie sounded pleased. "You know? I was like you once. Full of fire and promise. So determined to make a difference. And so utterly _clueless_." The resin was gone now, but Iriana was laid out flat on something hard. She couldn't move. "Janna, if you would. Start the procedure."

Whatever was covering Iriana's eyes was removed and she jerked as a form leaned back form over her. Janna's face was serene, but... her eyes were glowing golden. An organic bandage covered much of her shaved head. Iriana checked, but Janna's mind was still in hers. Or... _part_ of it. That part was sobbing in pain and fear. Iriana soothed it, and the piece of Janna she had relaxed.

" _What_ have you _done_?" The healer asked, horrified. "Janna... No..."

"She needed direction. I gave it." A form in a golden surgical smock stepped into Iriana's field of view. "As I will give you." The woman's eyes were kind over her mask, but Iriana was not fooled. "Healer, all you will do is prolong the inevitable and hurt yourself. You cannot win here and I have spent too long working towards this to let you expire. The trackers have been disabled. No rescue is coming." She sounded truly sad now. "You will thank me when I am done."

"I will see you _burn_ in your own execution chamber if I have to _drag_ you there by your _hair_ myself." Iriana retorted evenly. "You are no medical person, Executor. And you will _not_ break me."

"Break you?" The gowned woman said gently. "Oh, my dear. I have no such intentions. I am not even going to _hurt_ you. Such methods do not work on Tenno. You will help me refine the protocols once you are feeling better."

" _ **NEVER!**_ " Iriana screamed as she cast out with her mind, seeking anyone, anything. There was nothing but Janna H-15's sobs.

"You say that now." The other had a sad smile in her voice as she leaned close, a mask appearing in Iriana's vision lowering towards her face. "You will feel better when you wake." Her eyes were glowing as golden as Janna's had. "I look forward to conversing with you once the operations are done. Rest now."

Iriana didn't bother to try to hold her breath. She focused her mind on Janna's, secreting the girl deep in the recesses of her mind and hiding it in a way that no one would be able to figure out. Then she focused on forgetting the path. She had managed that when the anesthesia took hold and she was dragged into darkness. But she would not stop fighting, twisting the energy that was even now sweeping into her mind. She was Tenno. It was what she did. Maybe if she couldn't win, but with some luck she _could_ deny the enemy their prize.

Not much but _maybe_ it would be enough.

* * *

Still later

She woke.

Everything seemed brighter. Cleaner. She was whole. She stared around, incurious at her surroundings. She was lying on a bed in a surgical recovery ward. She was wearing a golden gown of some kind. It felt...nice. But something was wrong. She could hear someone crying. Someone was in pain. Such things called to her. She looked around, but no one was present. That made no sense at all. The crying cut off as she sat up. She grasped for memory and it did not come. She could not bite back a cry of dismay as she tried to remember her _name_ and _it_ would not come.

She went still as a door she hadn't seen opened and a large being walked in. She didn't recognize it. The huge misshapen form froze, staring at her.

"Healer?" The odd being asked softly. "Are you well?"

"Is that what I am?" She asked. She recoiled as the being held out a hand to her. "No! Don't!"

"Easy..." The male froze in place and his voice sounded worried. He stayed in place, hand outstretched. "I won't hurt you. My name is Shaun. Don't you remember? We met. Not the best of circumstances, but better _me_ to talk to you than Viveka."

"No." She swallowed hard as she saw the vicious looking claws that were in place of fingers. But he didn't move and she slowly reached out to take his hand. It curled around hers, but did nothing else."Who am I?"

"What?" Shaun asked, stunned. "You don't _remember_?"

"No."


	18. Chapter 18

**Really unreal**

"This isn't right." Shaun was very upset by this. "She was supposed to remember. To be able to help us." The Chroma was pacing and the woman in the chair shrank back from the angry metal being.

"Shaun, calm down." The medic he had called was working behind the head of the reclining examination chair. "Let's start slow. Your name is Iriana. Mine is Gillie."

"It is?" The woman in the chair asked, confused. "I don't know you."

"Ah, man...what did you _do_ , Healer?" Gillie complained. "These readings are way off. You fragmented your own mind. Silly woman."

"She is not a Warrior." Shaun stopped short in front of the chair, his posture resigned. "I knew it would end badly, Gillie. Sending me and Viveka was a mistake. She was hostile _before_ Nikis showed up and Viveka didn't _help_ matters."

"Viveka has her uses." Gillie said after a moment. Energy flared around the seated woman but didn't seem to do anything. "Dang, this is all messed up. Shaun, check her eyes. Is there any change?" The woman in the chair jerked as the metal form bent down to scrutinize her.

"I won't hurt you." The metal man promised. He held out a hand to her and she took it carefully, wary of the sharp claws that replaced fingers. He held her hand as he leaned close, scrutinizing her face. Then he sighed. "No change."

"Oh dear." Gillie said with feeling as she came around the chair to stand by where Shaun stood. "Okay I can fix this, but it will take some doing. Like I said, your name is Iriana. You are a Healer. A very special kind of doctor."

"That doesn't mean anything to me." The woman in the chair said weakly. "Iriana? That is my name?"

"Yes." Gillie said sadly as she knelt by the chair, taking Iriana's other hand in two gloved ones. "I am trying to help. The memories are there, just blocked. I am not sure how or why." She shook her head. "We can fix this. You and Janna both need help. I think..." She mused. "Yes. Shaun, get Janna to VR compartment three." The metal form nodded and left the room. Gillie scrutinized the woman in the chair who flushed a bit. "We won't hurt you, Healer. That was never the plan."

"I do not understand." The seated woman said plaintively.

"I know. We will help." Gillie said gently. "Can you walk?" She took the seated woman's hands in her own and pulled gently. The woman rose to her feet a bit and wobbled. She was a bit unsteady. "Easy. Take it slow. Your inner ears will be a bit out of whack until the implants settle into their new configurations. Won't take long, but I better walk with you just to be sure." Gillioe took a step and the woman followed suit. "Good." Gillie smiled and the other returned it.

"What is going on?" The woman called Iriana asked Gillie who frowned.

"I am not sure exactly what you did." Gillie admitted. "I know you were fighting the change. All the best ones do, but we will take care of you now." She gave Iriana's hands a squeeze as she led the woman from the room. The corridors around them were golden. That seemed...right to the woman who Gillie called Iriana. That name didn't seem quite right. "Not far."

"What will happen?" The woman asked as Gillie led her. The silence in the halls seemed oppressive. Were they only ones here?

"I need to do some deep repairs to your mind." Gillie said quietly. "Not difficult, but time consuming and it will be uncomfortable for you. We need you, but we need you fully functional and willing. I know of a way. You want a family." The staggering woman stared at Gillie who frowned. "You lost your ability to bear young. A regrettable accident and not something that Tenno medical science could fix. I can."

"I... can't bear a child?" Iriana asked. Gillie shook her head and Iriana felt her eyes start to burn. "I..."

"Hey." Gillie pulled Iriana into a hug and held her as the woman tried valiantly not to cry. "It's okay. I can fix this. And doing so will help Janna too. She is hurting as well. You want children and _she_ wants a family. Win-win."

"I don't understand." Iriana said weakly as Gillie pulled her towards another door.

"I know." Gillie's voice was soft and gentle as she guided Iriana to the door, which opened. The only furniture in the room was an upright chair that looked to be made of gold. It looked padded and had supports for legs and arms but...were those _restraints_ on the arm rests and leg supports? A menacing looking machine was lowering down from the ceiling. "Come on."

"You are scaring me." Iriana said weakly as Gillie pulled her gently towards the chair.

"I don't mean to." Gillie reassured her. "There is nothing to fear. Yes, the machinery looks frightening. But I won't hurt you. Hurting you would be counterproductive at this stage. We need you, Iriana. We need your skill, your compassion and your dedication to saving lives. Come on."

"I..." Iriana let herself be led to the chair. Gillie was gentle in easing Iriana into it and...

* * *

Somewhere virtual

She was lying on her back, floating on an endless golden sea. Before she could form a question, Gillie was sitting in midair beside her. The other woman smiled and Iriana relaxed a little. It was very restful, the floating.

"You made a hell of a mess of your mind, Healer." The other said quietly. "But I am fixing it now. I am dampening your reactions. And Ah... _There_ she is." A smaller form appeared floating beside Iriana, she remembered the girl's name. Janna. Janna H-15. But.. the girl was sobbing. "Don't cry, girl." Gillie soothed. "I am going to make it all better."

"You killed my parents." Janna H-15's voice was weak, tremulous. But underneath that lay hate. "You put golden things on them. They screamed and died... You... No... Healer. Fight it." She pleaded as she looked at Iriana.

"What happened to your parents was regrettable." Gillie sounded genuinely regretful and sad. "If the Red Veil had just let me work, none of what happened would have. But they had to know what I was doing. They had to interrupt me every few hours to see what I was doing. Then the Clergy attacked. I tried to move them too soon. And yes, _that_ is all on me. Contrary to popular belief, Janna, I _do_ regret the lives lost in my work. But they serve a noble purpose. A noble goal. One you will as well." She reached out to touch Janna's head. "You want a family."

"I WANT _**MY**_ FAMILY BACK!" Janna screamed and then wilted. Iriana felt compassion rise, she tried to reach out to the girl and could not. She felt something inside herself break and she felt anger rise, but it faded. Everything did.

"I am sorry." Gillie was shaking her head. "That is beyond my power after the Red Veil and Clergy interrupted the process. I did not want _them_ or _any_ of my subjects _dead_. It was inefficient and unnecessary." Golden energy flared around Janna's head and the girl's sobs tapered off. Her face took on a quizzical cast and Gillie smiled. "That's it, girl. That's it. I cannot give you back your old family, but I _can_ give you a new one."

"No." Janna pleaded as she was wreathed in energy. It coruscated around her, focusing on her stomach. "Don't."

"Have no fear, child." Gillie was so gentle now. "I will not hurt you. I will not harm you in any way further. I need you, you see. The Healer is remembering now and until I can finish her adjustments, she will fight. So, I am giving her someone to protect. The noble ones are always easiest to manipulate."

"You... bitch..." Iriana managed to croak out as energy flared around _her_. She remembered. "You... Orokin... _bitch_. I won't help you!"

"Yes, you will." Gillie smiled. It was not evil, or sarcastic or bitter. No, it was kind and welcoming! "Because now that you both are _back_ , we can get _started_."

"NO!" Iriana and Janna both screamed as the world fell away.

* * *

A flash of gold

"Momma?" Janna's voice pulled Iriana to consciousness. She jerked. She had fallen asleep!

Iriana stared wildly around and then relaxed as she saw she was still where she had been. Her heart broke as she looked at her daughter. Janna looked so small, so broken, lying in the hospital bed. The girl was hooked to various machines that monitored her vital signs. A tube under her nose provided oxygen. Iriana carefully ignore the other tubes that came out from under the light sheet that covered Janna. They were needed for the moment, but they were fairly disgusting. For a moment, nothing seemed right, but then it all was.

"Janna." Iriana took her daughter's hand in her own. "I am sorry! I fell _asleep_."

"I am sorry, Momma." Janna was crying softly now and Iriana held her hand. "Didn't mean to make a mess."

"You have always been such a considerate child." Iriana stroked Janna's hand gently. "I should have seen..."

"I didn't want you to worry." Janna said weakly as Iriana cried.

"My daughter tries to _kill herself_ and I am not going to _worry_?" Iriana demanded angrily. Then she recoiled as Janna froze. "I... Janna. Why? Please, tell me why. How bad a parent am I that I didn't see you wanting to _die_?"

"Didn't want to you to see." Janna's voice was weak and tears were falling. "Had it all planned. Was ready. The pain was too much, Momma."

"Pain?" Iriana begged. "What happened, Janna? I have been busy. Too busy. I know I should have seen more. Done more. It is my fault."

"Hurts, Momma." Janna pleaded. "It hurts."

"Let me get the doc." Iriana reached for the call button to summon the nurse but Janna pulled her hand. "Janna?"

"This is wrong." Janna said weakly. "I... I don't..."

"Let me get the doc, Janna." Iriana commanded and Janna let her hand go. She hit the call button and nothing seemed to happen. But then a voice sounded from nearby.

"Yes?" A harsh female voice sounded from nearby and Iriana tuned to see... why did she expect the woman to be clad in some kind of metal armor instead of a nurse's uniform?

"She is in pain." Iriana wondered why she was suddenly ready to fight. That made no sense.

"We can fix that." The woman smiled, but it was off. There was something wrong with that smile. She moved to Janna's bedside and fiddled with something. Janna gave a deep sigh and relaxed into sleep. Then she looked at Iriana. "You need rest too. You should go home."

"I stay with my daughter." There was no give at all in Iriana's words and the nurse actually flinched. "Call whoever you want, I stay with her." The nurse gave her a sharp nod and left the room. A flash of gold teased Iriana's eye, but when she looked, nothing was there. She slumped a bit. "I _am_ tired."

"You should get some rest." A much gentler female voice sounded and Iriana looked to see the doctor standing there. She looked worried. "Your daughter will live. She will be in pain for some time, but she will live. We were in time and the poison she took was easily countered."

"And the rest?" Iriana asked.

"Ma'am..." The doctor looked worried as Iriana laid a hand on Janna's abdomen. "We don't know yet. We could use your help here and Janna would love to have you close. She does love you." Why was the doctor suddenly highlighted in gold? Why was everything? Before Iriana could comment on it, the gold faded along with her need to comment on it.

"My ... help?" Iriana asked. "With what?"

"This is going to sound crazy." The doctor frowned but then nodded. "But it is true. I have corroboration. I will be happy to show you all of my proof."

"Proof of what?" Iriana demanded. "I am too tired and too cranky for obfuscation, doctor..." She paused What was the woman's name?"

"Gilliananhorisa." The doctor said mildly. Iriana goggled at her and the doctor smiled. "Which is why everyone calls me 'Gillie'."

"I see." Iriana had to smile at the other's resigned expression. "So... What proof?"

"Proof that a threat from the past has surfaced." Gillie sounded both worried and angry. "Incredibly powerful beings who escaped justice for their crimes long ago have reappeared. They can enter the minds of sentient beings and take control of them." Iriana stared at her and the doctor grimaced. "I don't know that they took control of Janna, but she did say that she felt 'out of control' at one point."

"She is a _teenager_." Iriana countered. "They are all like that. Raging balls of hormones. Although Janna is -was-..." she gave a small sob. "...better than that."

"She seems a good kid." Gillie smiled a bit sadly at the form in the bed. "And she is alive. Hold to that."

"Are you offering me a job?" Iriana had a job. Didn't she? The memories were fuzzy. She had been...fired? Or left? No. That wasn't right. She was very tired.

"Yes." Gillie nodded.

"I need to think about it." Iriana said slowly. Gillie nodded. "And I need to see your 'proof'."

"I would expect nothing less." Gillie held out and that Iriana took. She effortlessly pulled Iriana to her feet and...

A flash of gold.

Iriana sat beside Janna's bed, trying to process all of the information she had been given. So many records. So much horror. So much death and destruction. Caused by those beings. They looked like children, but they were not. Oh no, they were not. She heaved a sigh and froze as Janna spoke.

"Momma?" Janna's eyes were slits but she was awake! "Are you all right?"

"I should be the one asking you that." Iriana quipped and Janna smiled a little. "How do you feel?"

"Feathery." Janna said in a curious voice. "Is that a word?"

"If it wasn't before, it is now." Iriana smiled as she took Janna's hand in her own. Her other hand went to her daughter's forehead where sweat beaded. "Janna? Are you hot?"

"No." Janna sounded confused. "I feel... strange. Light but heavy. My stomach is tingling."

"So is mine." Iriana realized. It wasn't pain, it just felt odd. "Maybe I am hungry. Are you?"

"No." Janna closed her eyes as Iriana rubbed her scalp, brushing away the beads of sweat that were still forming. "Why are you angry, Momma? Did I mess up again?"

"No, dear." Iriana comforted her daughter. "Nothing you did. I... I have been offered a job."

"No!" Janna protested weakly. "No! Momma! No..." She trailed off as her eyes closed and she lost consciousness.

"Janna?" Iriana said sharply, but the girl did not react. "Janna!" She hit the call button and...

A flash of gold

"She is alive, but we had to do some serious repairs." Gillie said as Iriana put on her new uniform. "With you here, we can do more. She will be your primary focus of course."

"How many others?" Iriana asked as she pulled golden boots on. They sealed to her skin. The suit would become part of her, not -quite- a warframe, but more geared towards saving lives instead of taking them.

"Currently, we have nine patients." Gillie pulled up a datapad and started checking it. "Numerous different complaints, mostly psychological. I will handle that. I just need you to make sure the implants are not harming them." She grimaced as Iriana did. "I know."

Just the thought of stripping someone's free will from them was repugnant in the extreme to the Healer. But Janna needed her. It wasn't as if the energy based machines did physical damage or were even detectable. They did manage to keep the most violent of the patients from harming themselves or others. And if what Gillie suspected was true and some of these patients had been taken over by the 'demons' as she called them, then... This would be bad.

"I don't like Janna here and vulnerable." Iriana said for the sixth or seventh time. Gillie just looked at her and Iriana scowled. "Yes, I know. Yes, Shaun is eminently capable of defending us. But still... Viveka makes me very nervous."

"Me too." Gillie admitted. "She has her uses, but a nurse she is _not_." She paused. "Do you think Janna would make a good nurse?"

"She honestly wants to help people." Iriana replied as she sealed her gloves. "She would need training and neither you nor I have the time."

"There are ways." Gillie mused. Iriana looked at her and Gillie shrugged. "Just a thought. She wants to be useful and the two of you together would make a good team."

"She doesn't have the bone deep dedication to study long enough to be a doctor." Iriana replied, thinking. "But a nurse? She would need training." She said as she picked up the helmet and studied it. It was golden and would cover her head, leaving her face exposed, but a mask and visor would protect that. It wouldn't hide her identity at all, but it would protect her patients from accidental exposure of any kind.

"This is a big step, Iriana." Gillie laid her hands on the healer's. "Be sure."

Iriana just looked at her, pulled the helmet up and slapped it down on her head and...

A flash of gold

* * *

"Welcome, Healer." Gillie's voice was both proud and reverent as she stepped back from Iriana's chair. The Healer sat up, looking at the Executor. Iriana looked down at herself. She wore a golden gown just like Gillie's. She reached up to touch her head and her hands encountered metal. Gillie nodded. "You will get used to it."

A door nearby hissed open and Iriana flinched as she saw Shaun's Chroma leading a smaller form in a golden gown into the room. Janna was crying. Her eyes were glowing a deep dark blue. Iriana didn't need to see to know her own eyes were the same. The girl's neck was ringed by an odd golden thing that looked lumpy. Not quite like Alad V's mind control devices, more sophisticated looking.

" _ **HEALER!**_ " Janna screamed as she tried to run to Iriana, but Shaun held her fast by the shoulder despite her struggles.

"Let her... I... am..." Iriana felt detached. Shaun released Janna and the girl ran to Iriana, throwing her arms around the still bemused Healer. "Janna. Oh, Janna." She embraced the girl gently.

"You evil _bitch_!" Janna screamed at Gillie who looked sad. "You are dead! You hear me? _Dead!_ "

"It will be hard to accept for a time but you will learn to cope." Gillie sounded sad. "We will not harm you, Janna. We need you and her."

" _I WON'T HELP YOU!_ " Janna screamed and then she jerked as golden energy played around her collar. A sound of pain escaped her lips and Iriana held the girl as she shuddered and went limp. "I...won't..."

"It is all right, Janna." Iriana said sadly as she hugged the girl who was not -quite- her daughter.

"It is going to be all right."


	19. Chapter 19

**None so blind...**

Everything was all right. But it was all wrong. Janna was crying. She never stopped crying. Even when she was smiling, she was still crying. The only time she even slowed down was when Iriana held her close. Iriana hugged the girl again and went back to work. It was bad.

The Grineer Iriana was working on wasn't conscious, thank god. The modifications that had been done to the clone's brain were pervasive but at the same time, designed to be impossible to detect. Grineer were not the best at medical matters, but they did have a fairly good handle on security. Any detectable anomalies would result in this agent being discovered and either executed or interrogated and then executed. That would be a waste. Iriana was working to keep the changes minimal and easy to overlook while at the same time, keeping the clone as healthy as possible.

Iriana wasn't sure what this clone was intended for and frankly? She didn't want to know. She had other concerns.

"Vitals are stable." Janna's voice was calm, even as tears were falling. "Implantation is complete." Her eyes were impossible to see through the blue glow that burst out from them every time she opened her eyes. But Iriana knew if she could see them, that they would be red and swollen. At least the girl's collar hadn't activated recently. That was always bad. The golden uniform she wore was similar to Iriana's, without the helmet because Janna had the collar.

"We need to talk." Iriana said quietly.

"We have four more clones to finish." Janna replied.

"The clones can wait." Iriana was in no mood for procrastination now. " _You_ cannot."

"I am fine." Janna was trying to be calm and mostly succeeding. "A minor problem with my tear ducts. Nothing else."

"Don't lie to me, Janna." Iriana finished her work and sealed the clone's stasis pod. "You are still sad. I want to help, but I cannot if you will not let me."

"We have work to do." Janna replied, moving toward the door to the small room. Iriana moved to block her progress and the girl stopped in midstride "Healer... We have work to do." Was she pleading?

"What is wrong?" Iriana asked. "Is it something I have done? I cannot think of any way I have hurt you." She held out a hand to Janna and stared as the girl flinched back. "Janna... What is wrong?" This didn't make any sense to Iriana. The girl was sad. Why?

" _You_ are." Janna said weakly. "And you cannot see it. There is nothing I can do. It hurts and there is nothing I can do to help. I... Healer. Please. Work helps distract me. Even _this_." She snarled in disgust.

"This work is awful, but it is needed, Janna." Iriana said softly. "The Grineer must be stopped." Janna shook her head and looked away. "Janna. Don't make me get Gillie." She could not have missed the shudder that Janna gave. "Talk to me."

"You cannot hear me." Janna said weakly. "You listen, but they made it so you cannot hear. You were so kind to me and I helped them break you. I... I wish I were _dead!_ " Iriana stared at the crying girl and then enveloped her in a hug. Janna jerked and then returned it.

"Don't _ever_ wish that, Janna." Iriana said sadly. "Where there is life, there is hope. They are monitoring the both of us. I do not understand what you are saying." It simply didn't make sense to the Healer and that bothered Iriana. A lot.

"I know." Janna said weakly as she hugged Iriana. "They hurt you. They did something inside your mind and you cannot see that what you are doing is wrong."

"Of course it is wrong, Janna." Iriana said weakly. "But Grineer have little free will anyway. This is needed."

"No, it's not!" Janna snapped, burying her face in Iriana's shoulder. "No, it's not! I..." She reached for Iriana's helmet and the woman hissed, batting her hands away.

"Janna!" Iriana protested. "Leave that alone! They will punish you, Janna."

"LET THEM!" Janna screamed loudly as she hugged Iriana tight. "You are so much better than me in every way and I... I let them hurt you. They used me to get to you and I... I can't help you."

"Oh, Janna." Iriana said sadly as she soothed the distraught girl with energy and gentle massage. "I do what I have to. You are not happy here." Janna shook her head. She opened her mouth but them closed it. "I wish I could help. I do love you, Janna."

"Just hold me." Janna begged. "For a time, I can forget this horror. Forget what they did to me. To us. I know they will punish me and I don't care. You wouldn't give up on me, so I cannot give up on you. I will find a way to free you. To show you what they did."

"Janna..." Iriana said slowly. "Don't..." But the girl had already reached and grabbed Iriana's helmet, trying to pull it off. The girl had leverage on her side and Iriana had limited purchase to stop her. But then Janna convulsed and dropped like a rock. "JANNA! No! Stop hurting her!" She snapped at the ceiling. "She is scared! She is sad! She isn't rebelling!"

"Take her to rehabilitation." The voice wasn't Viveka thank goodness. Iriana wasn't sure how many people Gillie had working for her. But Viveka hurt people just to do it.

"She is just trying to help." Iriana lifted the now sobbing girl easily and carried her from the laboratory. Janna did not react as they entered another room. "Janna, please stop resisting." Iriana begged the girl as she lay Janna down on the table and the restraints clicked closed. "I can't... I can't watch you get punished again."

"I can't give up on you, Healer." Janna said through her tears as her collar slotted into place. Energy started crackling. "Please... don't watch. Go. Please!"

"Janna!" Iriana pleaded as the door behind her opened and metal fingers took hold of her arm to guide her from the room. "She is trying to help. She just doesn't know how." She jerked as a scream sounded from the room. Janna. "No..."

"Come on, Healer." Shaun's voice was sad and sick. "There is a bed with your name on it calling. I will... come back. Sit with her. You are right. She just doesn't get it."

"She gets it fine, Shaun." Iriana said sadly. "She just cannot _accept_ it. I didn't have a choice."

"We wouldn't have killed her, Healer." Shaun said as he guided her through the halls. Iriana turned to look at him and he sighed. "All right. _I_ wouldn't have killed her. Viveka? Yes."

"How did someone like you wind up... here?" Iriana asked as a door opened ahead of her. Inside, a capsule was lighted. She swallowed as she saw it. "You are not like them."

"More than you know, Healer." Shaun said sadly. He guided her to the capsule and helped her into it. Her helmet slotted into an indention made for it and she sighed as EM radiation started playing through her brain. "Rest well."

The golden tinged darkness that took hold of her and dragged her down was singing, but it did not console her. Not this time.

* * *

 _Janna._

She was writhing in agony, trying with all her might to keep the insidious feelings and messages from pervading her again. Trying to ignore the pain that flared through her whole body as she resisted. She would fail. She always did. But she would not stop trying.

 _Oh, Janna._ The voice was unfamiliar. Not one of the machines or one of her tormenters. It was male for one thing. Not Shaun. _You are one tough kid._

"Won't..." Janna said out of clenched teeth. "Won't give up..."

 _No._ The male voice sounded proud now. _No, you won't. Good news is, you won't have to. Hold on, Janna. Not long now._

"I..." Janna was crying as the pain stopped. "I won't..."

"Why keep hurting yourself, Janna?" A hated voice sounded from nearby and Janna jerked away as best she could as a hand touched her hair, it stroked gently. As always, she fought, tried to bite. It was well out of her reach. Gillie sounded sad, but it had to be a trick. "You just confuse the Healer and prolong your own pain. Come on, girl. Give in. Let go. Let us help you."

"Bite me, you bitch!" Janna grated out. Gillie sighed and the hand on her brow continued to stroke gently. "You enjoy this! You _like_ hurting people!"

"Janna, I do not enjoy this." Gillie sounded firm now. "It is needed, so I do it. I take no pleasure in hurting people. But the demons _must_ be stopped. You and Iriana will help do that." Power flared and Gillie sighed as Janna bit back a scream of agony. "Don't make us do this, girl." Gillie warned. "Don't make us take complete control from you. It goes much easier if you let it."

"WON'T HELP YOU!" Janna screamed past her pain.

"Okay." Gillie sounded nearly in tears now. "We would have welcomed you. The Healer would have loved you. But you refuse to get with the program. Fine. We will run the alternate program."

Janna's scream cut off as her body went limp. Her skin was on fire. No... it was cool. She felt intrusions in various places. Her nose, her ears, more intimate places. A tube went into her mouth and down her throat. She gagged on it. She opened her eyes and tried to scream again. Iriana stood beside her, the Healer's eyes shut.

 _No..._ Janna begged in her mind as Iriana reached for her surgical tools. _NO!_

Something went snap inside Janna's mind and she was falling. Suddenly, arms caught her and held her as she sobbed.

"I have got you." A strong male voice sounded from nearby. It was the one that had talked to her before. Not Shaun. Someone else. "Easy, girl. I have you." He held her close as she cried, his strength and kindness a balm to her soul.

"Iriana!" Janna cried, trying to struggle, but she was too weak. "No! They will break her."

"Actually, they are about to piss her off." The other said with a snort. " _Bad_ idea. Nikis and Sun may not have anything to _do_ when Iriana gets done with them."

"She can't hear me. She cannot understand." Janna pleaded. "What will making me a slave do to her?" The male voice sighed.

"They think it will break her will completely." The other sounded resigned now. "They have forgotten what it is to anger Tenno. They are about to find out. Again." The arms holding her hugged Janna again. "But right now... _You_ are the important one. They are right about _one_ thing. Iriana _is_ alone. She has family that she will see rarely if ever, she had friends who she is too busy to connect to. She just got her mate back. Sort of. No one knows if it will work or not. If it doesn't..." He trailed off as Janna made a noise of despair.

"She is so kind. So gentle. Yet... so hard and tough at the same time." Janna said slowly. "I don't... I can't..."

"What would you give to help her, Janna?" The voice asked. "Really help her? Not the fake crap that Executor witch is spewing, but really and truly help her? Stay with her and help her through this?"

"Anything." Janna said weakly. "But I am human. Not Tenno." She slumped. "Not in her class."

"You know...?" The male voice sounded amused now. "She would say you are better than her." Janna jerked and shook her head, but the other just chuckled. "I think... Yeah, I think we can help spoke that Executors wheels. This will hurt, Janna. This is too fast and too soon. But you are up to it."

"Up to what?" Janna asked as silver mist swept around her.

"Up to your _future_." A new male voice sounded.

Janna stared as she was set on her feet and then guided to her knees. It felt... both right and wrong as the hands that held her eased her into a posture she did not know. Her eyes went huge as a form simply appeared in front of her. He had dark hair and wore some kind of armor that wasn't -quite- any warframe she had ever heard of. The man... No. He wasn't human. She didn't know him. But... she _did_. He smiled at her. She looked around, but there was no one else visible.

"Hello Janna." The Tenno was kind. "You touched Iriana's mind. She pulled you in to try and protect you and you absorbed some things. This will hurt, but you will emerge stronger for it." He knelt in front of her and bowed his head. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, First Tenno." Janna said quietly. "I am ready to take the Trial."

* * *

Some time later

Iriana jerked awake with a soft cry of dismay. Something had changed. She felt... a difference. She recoiled, her hands falling to her sides as she stared down at... Janna. The girl slept. But her skull was laid bare and the telltale signs of the work Iriana had been doing on the Grineer were easy to see for the moment. She had.. _Iriana_ **_had_**...

"No." Iriana breathed.

"She resisted too strongly." Gillie's voice was sad. "She did irreparable harm to her mind." Iriana stared at the girl and then at the readouts. "Iriana, she can be useful like this. A strike against the Clergy will..." The Executor broke off as Iriana bent over the girl again. "Iriana. Iriana, stop. You can't save her. She is too far gone."

Something went snap inside of Iriana as she stared at the mental readouts. Gillie gasped as Iriana tore her helmet off and threw it away. Such things were always more psychological than physical with Tenno. For a **_very_** good reason.

"Healer. Stop. We did what we could."

"No." Iriana retorted. "You did what you _wanted_. You are very good, Executor. Very good indeed. But you just made a critical mistake." She cast out with her mind. Her rage tore through the mind block that had prevented such before as it it was made of tissue paper. _Lotus! Hear me!_

 _We do._ The fury in the Lotus' mental tone was palpable. _We come._

 _Don't_ **bother** _! Let them know! Let them_ **all** _know! The Compact is_ **broken** _!_ Iriana cut the link to the Lotus' impassioned cry.

"Iriana! Stop!" Gillie exclaimed. "This was unfortunate! We can remake her!"

"THAT IS **_FORBIDDEN_**!" Iriana screamed at the other. "As long as Orokin _existed,_ it was **_forbidden_**! You chose to disregard the Old Compact? _So be it_!"

"What?" Gillie suddenly sounded unsure. "What do you mean?"

" _THE ORIGINAL_ _COMPACT_ , YOU BITCH!" Iriana's throat hurt. She couldn't have cared less as she released Janna's still form and pulled the girl up into her arms. She sat on the floor, crying. "Between Orokin and Tenno! You used **_me_** to break it!"

"Iriana..." Gillie said carefully. "That is not true. She is not really your daughter. She is not Tenno. I haven't modified any Tenno."

That had been strictly forbidden by every Emperor and Empress since the First. Only a few had dared to flout that rule and all had paid for it. The Collapse of Orokin was almost directly a result of such a breach. No one sane tried to enslave Tenno. With good reason. It tended to _piss them off_.

" ** _LOOK AGAIN!_** " Iriana screamed louder. Gillie gasped as she saw the telltale signs of Tenno energy in Janna. Iriana bowed her head over Janna. "'Thou mayest persuade Tenno. Thou mayest woo Tenno. Thou mayest convince Tenno. Thou mayest _not_ enslave Tenno. Or thou _shalt **regret**_ it.'." She quoted. "You persuaded me with your mental tricks. But you just had me enslave _her_. **_You_** **_lying BITCH!_** "

She reached out with her mind to each and every one of the Grineer she had worked on and with a mental flip, activated their implants. All of them. Every. Single. Bomb. _Dozens_ of them. She had been busy.

"Iriana! No!" Gillie pleaded. "Stop! The blasts will kill you!"

"I don't _care_." Iriana said flatly as she worked to soothe her newest daughter's pain, trying with all her might and skill to undo the damage that she had caused in Janna's mind while controlled. Not that it would matter in the long term, but she had to do _something_ while the timers ticked down. "Oh, Janna... I am sorry."

 _ **This must not be.**_ A voice of thunder sounded in Iriana's mind. Male. No one she knew. _**Healer, you are needed.**_

"I have harmed an innocent." Iriana said sadly, stroking Janna's hair. "One I swore to help. I am...forsworn. _"_

 _ **It was not you.**_ The incredible voice was gentle. _**You do not blame a pistol for what the person behind it does, Healer. ** _She controlled your body while you slept._** Take Janna and go. The way is open. The Executor and her retinue have fled. Live, Healer. You are needed. Now more than ever.  
**_

"I..." Iriana rose to her feet, hefting Janna easily.

 _This way._ Another male voice sounded. It was familiar. Very familiar. But Iriana could not place it. _Hurry._

Iriana was stumbling as she moved through the small facility. She had no idea where it was. She did know what it was. A hidden laboratory. A door ahead of her hissed open and she jerked as she saw a form bent over a console ahead. But it wasn't Gillie or any of her people. It was...

" _K_... _Karl?_ " Iriana demanded as she staggered to halt just inside the chamber. The white Rhino turned to her, snapped a jaunty salute... and _vanished_. "What... the..."

She felt rather than heard or saw the first detonation. She jerked onto the platform as the console came alive. There had been someone there. She had seen...someone. But... She would ask Nikis. He would know.

Then she was away.

* * *

Explosions were tearing the small Orokin lab apart. Two transparent forms stood in the midst of it, ignoring the violence around them. It couldn't touch them. One was human sized, the other was larger.

 _She won't remember._

 _For the best._

 _Yeah, guess so. Janna?_

 _She did well. She is tough, that kid._

 _That she is. If you had told me that a_ **human** _would resist that Orokin witch, I would have laughed in your face. I am not laughing now._

 _No. Iriana will need time and care, but she will recover. Janna likewise. I shudder to think of what will happen when Janna and Mishka get together again. The universe may_ **tremble** _._

 _The Rising won't stop, Karl._

 _Neither will we, Sparrow. Neither will_ **we** _._

Then the blasts reached the reactor and the facility blew itself completely apart. Nothing left but bitter memories.

* * *

Elsewhere

Iriana collapsed to her knees on the portal platform, aware of raised voices all around her. But her focus was on Janna who stirred slightly.

"Janna?" Iriana pleaded.

"I am okay, Mom." Janna said as she reached out with her mind to reassure the Healer. _More than okay._

Iriana stared at the girl and then hugged her newest daughter -and the newest Tenno- tight.


	20. Chapter 20

**Eyes**

Iriana lay back and tried hard to relax. She was safe. Janna was safe. But she could not relax despite the comfortable bed she was lying on. The medical equipment was all familiar and unobtrusive. She was only under observation now. But it was very hard to get comfortable.

"Healer?" Iriana turned her head to see Alicia enter the room. The Trinity warframe looked a bit fuzzy through the eyewear that Iriana had to wear, but it was safer for everyone if they made sure that no one could spy _through_ her. No one was sure _what_ some of the changes wrought in Iriana's body were for. Well, the Rising knew, but no one was going to 'talk' to them again. Except maybe Sun. They were working to undo everything that had been done to Iriana, but it would take time. Alicia nodded to the Healer and her faceplate opened. She was smiling. "She us back and wants to talk to you when you feel up to it."

"I am good now." Iriana said with a smile that faded. "Alicia..."

"He would want us to protect you _both_." Alicia said softly. "We _are_. End of story." Steel might have bent under the Trinity's calm words. Iriana just shook her head. There were some fights even Tenno could not win. Alicia moved to Iriana's bedside and held out a hand that the Healer took. " _They_ want to talk to you too. How you doing?"

"Aside from not being able to get comfortable, I am still a bit fuzzy from Sun's debriefing." Iriana said sadly. "I hope he got everything with that session. _Not_ something I want to do again." Five virtual hours with the interrogator. She would be a while recovering.

Alicia nodded understanding. None of what the interrogator had done had been physical, but that made it worse in a way. Physical pain could be alleviated, medicated or ignored. _Mental_ pain? Not so much. It had to heal in its own time.

"We can have the talk here." Alicia wasn't being protective. This time anyway. She understood exactly how badly Iriana had been twisted, spindled and mutilated psychologically even before Sun got his claws into her. "Even Sun's 'gentle' debriefings take a while to recover from."

"Yeah." Irina shook her head, staring down at herself. The medics had removed the golden uniform that had been bonded to her skin. But she still felt as if she was sealed away, detached. That too would fade. She hoped. "No time like the present?"

"You work too hard, Mom." Janna's voice came and Iriana smiled, but that smile faltered as _two_ warframes entered the room. She didn't recognize either of them. Both were prime frames from the gold that encrusted them, but... One bowed to her. That one looked kind of like Alicia's warframe, but it had a long braid like thing that looped down from helmet. Janna's voice came from it. She was amused. "You like?"

"Trinity..." Iriana felt faint and Alicia bent down to take her hand.

"Prime." Alicia said with a grin. "She argued, but some people have less give than _you_ do."

"That they do." Janna said sourly. But she had a smile in her voice too. It faded with her next words. "I know you wanted me safe, Mom. But..."

"As safe as we can be. Surrounded by a clan who will _die_ for us is pretty darn safe. Even if you are determined to follow the Path of the Warrior." Iriana held out the hand that Alicia wasn't holding to her daughter and Janna stepped close to take it. "They... scanned?"

"Yes." Janna gave Iriana's hand a squeeze. Her faceplate retracted and the ghosts of old pain and fear shone in her eyes. At least they were not glowing anymore. If only _Iriana's_ could stop doing so. They couldn't find any real cause for it. "All gone. When you have recovered, you are to come as well. Let them check."

"I can't, Janna." Iriana said sadly. "That is just the kind of thing that evil witch would have planned. Set me up to get something nasty in there. No. I will manage out here." Alicia and Janna both looked at each other, but there really wasn't anything they could say to that. Just the _possibility_ of a bomb or bioweapon going off in Avalon was a horrible thought. "Tiana?" The Healer asked the other. The golden crested warframe bowed to her. "I thought you preferred Mirage."

"I did. I do." Tiana sounded resigned. "But I was overruled." The Nyx Prime shook her head. "Still think they have all _flipped_."

"You are a good choice." Iriana said with a grin at Tiana's self deprecation."But... they want to talk?" Tiana nodded. "I am not going anywhere for a bit."

The Nyx Prime that was Tiana nodded again and her faceplate turned to the ceiling. A moment later, holograms started appearing. Each was an ageless form that sat in a chair. Seven of them. Iriana smiled at the kids and they smiled back, even Hawk.

 _Healer._ Falcon's voice was firmer. Still kind, but there was something more to it now. A confidence that she had lacked. _You are well?_

"As well as I can be, Falcon." Iriana said with a tiny shrug. "The programming is gone. Most of the controls are gone. Not that she dared to do much physically to me. It was doing it to _Janna_ that tipped the scales."

 _Enslaving Tenno tends to piss them off._ Hawk laughed without mirth.

"That it does." Iriana agreed. "You wanted to speak to me?"

 _Actually, we want to offer you our aid._ Falcon said quietly. Iriana stiffened and Falcon nodded. _We were only going to spilt parts of ourselves into Tenno who wear warframes. Janna is deciding now which school to focus on._ Iriana could not keep a momentary flash of fear from her face and Falcon shook her head. _We will not harm her, Healer._

"I know." Iriana said weakly. "I _do_ believe that now. But that woman... that monster made me believe you all were demons." She gave a sob. "I really _believed_. She had me. Totally." She shook her head. "I know there was no way for me to beat her. She had plans within plans and tricks within tricks. But I wonder if she planned for _this_? She must have." The healer let out a deep breath. "I cannot. It is too dangerous to you. She will have done something to me and-" She broke off with an 'eep' as Falcon suddenly started to glow. "Falcon?"

 _The Executors were old, crafty and utterly devoid of anything resembling empathy or mercy._ Falcon said quietly. _But no matter their desires, none of them were omniscient. Be still, Healer. Be calm._ The girl reached out a holographic hand and Janna took it without a word. Iriana stared as the warframe pulled the hologram close enough so that Falcon's other hand could reach down and touch Iriana's cheek. _So brave. So strong. So hurt and alone. No. You will_ **not** _be alone again, Healer._ **Never** _again._

Iriana gasped as alien thoughts flooded into hers. But it wasn't a controlling presence. Indeed, it was gentle and soothing. It was also pervasive, floating everywhere, seeing everything. She felt something -no, some _one!_ \- give a screech in her mind and then vanish.

"She... was..." Iriana gasped as Falcon held her hand. "Sun didn't see her. No one... I..."

 _Yes, but she will_ **not** _spy through you again._ Falcon promised. _We are not perfect, so caution is warranted. But we_ **will** _help you, Healer. We will_ **all** _help you. Fear not, Healer. We are with you. Sister to sister. Yours in life and death._

"I... No." Iriana swallowed hard as all six of the other holograms spoke the ancient words. "I can't. Falcon, Heron, Owl... I can't. I cannot. My oaths are to _everyone_. Not any one group."

 _As are ours._ Falcon's voice was still kind as her eyes started to glow gently. _We serve all Tenno. You are kin to us now, Healer. We will never forsake you._

"I..." Iriana was crying and Janna gave her hand a squeeze. "I can't stop my eyes from glowing. I have tried. So hard. Whatever she did... I can't stop it."

 _Healer._ Falcon said gently. _I don't think_ **she** _did it._ Iriana jerked as Falcon smiled at her. _There is a feel about you. A feel we all can sense._ _That comes from you, not her._ _Sparrow's energy left it's mark on you._ All of the other holos nodded as Iriana looked at them. _It isn't the same. You have been hurt and hurt and hurt, Healer. So many pains. So many betrayals. So much horror and you keep going. You are an inspiration to us all._

"I just... It is all I can do." Iriana said weakly as Falcon touched her cheek gently. The hologram couldn't actually press her flesh, but there _was_ a connection of some kind. "We go on."

 _We know._ Falcon smiled. _But now? You are not alone. You will not be alone, ever again. I too, wish to be a Healer. I will need instruction. You cannot just throw power at a problem._ She smiled a bit self deprecating.

"Works sometimes." Iriana was trying to get a mental grip on this. "You ask me to teach you? Me?"

 _We will teach each other, Healer._ Falcon promised. _For now? Look me in the eyes please._

Iriana did and then gasped as Falcon's eyes flashed. Something passed between the holographic form and herself. It felt...good. Energizing. It felt like a warm bath or a gentle breeze on flesh or... Iriana was staring as Falcon smiled and withdrew a bit. Janna sat beside Iriana on the bed.

"What?" Iriana asked through her bemusement.

"You needed some ease." Janna said sadly. "You have pushed yourself far too hard, Mother. You cheated using your own power to heal the damage you were doing to yourself..." Iriana jerked and Janna held her down gently. "No. Mother. No." She commanded. " _This_ time, you listen to me."

Where had this aura of command come from? This wasn't the Janna that Iriana was so fond of. It was still her, but... older. Wiser. Calmer.

"Janna?" Iriana pleaded.

"It is still me, Mom." Janna relented and her face softened. "But you scared me. You scared us _all_. I was...instructed not to take any crap from you. You are _not_ going to work yourself to death." This was firm. "You will work. You will have lots to do. But we _will_ monitor you. _I_ will monitor you. If you start pushing yourself too hard, I will act. Don't make me." Janna pleaded as she pulled Iriana's hand to her lips and kissed it.

"But... you..." Iriana was rocking now. Or spinning. She felt faint. Falcon's eyes glowed momentarily and she felt better. She smiled at the holo and Falcon smiled back.

"I have a lot of training ahead of me." Janna said gently. "But my _mother_ takes precedence." She turned to Tiana. "Clan Leader?"

Iriana had to smile at the disgusted noise that came from the Nyx Prime. Tiana had not expected to be elevated to the position. Many had known that Karl had been grooming Tiana to take a leadership role, but few had even suspected that he had planned her as a successor in case anything happened to him. She hadn't taken the new very well, by all accounts. But no one had died, so it was all good.

"I think the old title is better here and now." Tiana said softly. "'Warlord'. We are at war with the Rising. With the testimony you provided, Iriana , we have authorization from the Elders as a whole. We will kill the Rising anywhere we find them. No quarter will be asked or given. They started this. We _will_ end it."

"May that day be soon." Iriana said sadly. "I dislike the idea of conflict between Tenno, but... they started it as you say. They killed Karl." Something twinged in her memory, but it faded and she shook her head. "What would have you have of me, Warlord?" She asked carefully.

"Just do what you do." Tiana replied. "Heal. But... try to stay out of trouble for a while, please? _One_ heart attack this week is more than enough."

"No promises." Iriana said with a grin. "But..." She bowed her head. "Sister to Sister, yours in life and death." To Tiana _and_ to Falcon.

"Sister to Sister." Tiana replied formally, accepting Iriana into the clan. "Yours in life and death." She chuckled. "And now that the _less_ important stuff is done... We have your new staff for you to meet."

"Wait. What?" Iriana demanded. " _Staff?_ "

"We know better than to deny you the ability to help people." Tiana said firmly. "Janna. You are up." The holograms of the kids all bowed their heads to Iriana and vanished. "She is not to get out of that bed for a day. _Sit_ on her if you have to. That is a direct order."

"Yes, Warlord." Janna said in a meek voice that was utterly at odds with the twinkle in her eyes as Alicia smothered a laugh with a totally unconvincing cough.

"What do you mean 'staff?'" Iriana demanded. Tiana and Alicia shook their heads and strode from the room. "Janna?"

"The hospital is up and running." Janna said softly. "You trained them well. But it is not secure. It cannot _be_ secured." Iriana stared at her daughter and then slumped. "I am sorry, Mother. You cannot return there. The danger is too great."

"To them _and_ me." Iriana said weakly. Janna took her both her hands in the Trinity Prime's and held them gently. "I... It was home."

"It was." Janna said sadly. "And everyone is sorry. But we are upgrading the security here." Iriana stared at her daughter. This dojo had the best security anywhere outside of... Avalon. Janna nodded. "Yes. Such an attack will not succeed again."

"But only here." Iriana felt tears threaten. "If they attack the hospital again..."

"We cannot be everywhere." Janna gave her mom's hands another squeeze. "But you are the target. We think you were all along. We think that the energy you were hit with would not have killed you, sucked you into a virtual prison maybe or maybe put you in a coma or something. We don't know. It won't happen again. It won't." Janna said firmly.

"Karl is gone." Iriana said sadly.

"Uh... yeah. About that..." Janna actually looked uncomfortable. "You know Nikis promised you that he would did whatever he could? He has some options, but they are kind of... unsavory." Iriana stared at the Trinity Prime and then slumped a bit. "He hasn't done anything yet. He is waiting to talk to you."

"Not today." Iriana said sadly. "I cannot handle it today."

"I know." Janna squeezed her mom's hand again. "Anyway... The idea is to set up a critical care facility _here_."

"Here?" Iriana demanded. "This is a Tenno _dojo_!" Janna just looked at her and Iriana relaxed. "A highly secure Tenno dojo with a history of attracting people with issues." She shook her head. "Like me."

"The staff are not Tenno." Janna said quietly. "They will be under your direct supervision. The Rising will go after the Clergy soon and the staff of the relay were vulnerable."

"You didn't..." Iriana said slowly. Janna smiled and nodded to the door which hissed open. Three humans and a violet hulled MOA entered the room. All seemed hesitant. "Vina? Mercedes? Sheila? And... who is...? Wait." She smiled. "Zacharias?"

"Hello again, Healer." Vina spoke for them all. She was -had been- the highest rank, so it was natural for the others to defer to her. "I am glad to see you alive." Was she about to _cry_?

"Tell me those scum didn't blow up the Convent!" Iriana asked, horrified.

"They didn't." Vina said softly. "They only had moments to flee with you. But we all thoight you and Janna were dead when the connection cut out. We mourned. They left a bomb, but Grandmaster Nikis defused it."

"I only saw bits of it." Iriana said softly. "But... It is a piece of history. I am glad they didn't manage." She smiled at Vina's partner who was well into her second trimester." Mercedes. Have you been putting your feet up?" The girl jerked and Iriana sighed, but it was utterly fake. "Didn't think so. That stops now. Sheila?"

"We were told what happened." The MOA said sadly. "We cannot go back to the Clergy. None of us. Vina is officially dead. Mercedes is..."

"A piece of _meat_." The pregnant girl said sharply. "To be _dissected_." The MOA looked at her and Mercedes slumped. "And what they would want with Sheila is _worse_." To restart a horrific program that used the brains of young human girls as cyborg components. Iriana nodded and turned her eyes to the sole male in the room who nodded.

"To do what had to be done, I broke a bunch of rules." Zacharias said quietly. "I knew there would be repercussions. I couldn't stay with Jesse. She offered, but... No. I couldn't stay. I am a doctor and no one trusts me."

"Trust must be earned." Iriana smiled at them all. "So...a critical care facility?" She asked Janna.

"Tell me more..."

* * *

Nearby

"Will you tell her?" The Nyx Prime asked the pitch black Nekros as they watched Iriana settle into her new circumstances.

"Would _you_?" Nikis challenged.

"No. Neither of them know and it is better for that. The records are all sealed or destroyed." Tiana admitted. "You know that people will still hunt her. That she will in danger any time she goes out."

"Any time she leaves, she will have an _army_ around her." Nikis retorted. "Let them try. After all this... Let them _try._ " The fires of hell sounded in the Nekros' voice. "I am going hunting after this. I need some stress relief."

"Me too." Tiana said sadly. "What about Kat? Will you...?"

"As long as he never shows any sign of who he _was_..." The Nekros said firmly. "... he is not my problem or Sun's. Sun will be watching, but that one has a heart too, if jaded and hidden from the universe. But we _all_ have reason to hate them now."

"Nikis..." Tiana tried, but the Nekros just shook his head.

" _Three_ Tenno lives, Warlord." Nikis snapped. " _One_ would have been cause for vengeance. But _three_? As far as anyone _else_ knows, we are only avenging _Karl_. No one _else_ will ever know about Janna or Iriana. What that _bitch_ did to them. None of the medics knew what it was and they accepted my command to seal the records. I... did what I had to. Neither would have been viable. Iriana may guess, but I hope not. Janna didn't have a clue."

"I thought I knew what evil was." Tiana said sadly. "That... _I_ didn't have a clue."

"I am going hunting." Nikis replied as he started for the door. "Keep me in the loop."

"Nikis?" Tiana did not turn but the Nekros paused at the door.

"What?"

"Make it _hurt_. _A lot._ " The Nekros looked at her and then nodded. Then, like a wisp of _nightmare_ , he was gone. Tiana turned back to the monitor and shook her head.

"We will protect her and hers. By Blood and by Steel, we _will_ protect her and hers."

* * *

Four hours later

Iriana was tired. It had been a hell of a day. She felt good, happy to be alive and it looked as if she would be useful. But she _was_ tired. She sighed as the door opened again. Someone else needing her?

"Yes?" She asked, not looking. An utterly unexpected voice answered her hesitantly.

"Is this a bad time?" Iriana's eyes jerked to where a male Tenno stood in the doorway. He stared at her eyes and gulped. "The docs said...we knew each other?" He looked ready to bolt!

"Don't mind the eyes, Kat." Iriana said through her sudden tears. "I won't hurt you. They are scary, I know."

"I think they are beautiful. The blue sets off your hair nicely." The being known as Kat said as he stepped closer. "You are sick. I don't want to hurt you."

"We will not always agree. We may fight." Iriana was crying now as she held out her hand. "But I _do_ love you. You don't remember me." It wasn't a question.

"I wish I did." The man came to the beside and took her hand. "You are pretty."

"And you are the _greatest_." Iriana was sobbing as she pulled her mate close. He was crying too.

Drops of joy falling from windows to the soul to banish the darkness.


End file.
